Centre College's Nathan Shuler named to AASHE Advisory Council

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Nathan Shuler

DANVILLE, KY (06/05/2013)(readMedia)-- Nathan Shuler of Versailles, a rising senior and government major at Centre College, has been appointed to the Advisory Council for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

"In this position, I receive first-hand updates from the executive director of AASHE, as well as other AASHE staff members about the programs, publications, events and ideas that AASHE is promoting, producing and implementing," Shuler says. "On occasion I'm encouraged to participate in a publication review, a survey about a webinar, or a discussion about the strategic plan for the organization."

To be selected to the AASHE Advisory Council is an honor reserved for those who are dedicated to and knowledgeable of AASHE's activities, including principles of sustainability and the organization's commitment to achieving a just and sustainable society.

"When I worked for AASHE last summer, I was overseen by two spectacular mentors: Niles Barnes and Judy Walton," Shuler continues. Walton encouraged him to apply for the Advisory Council, and he learned of his appointment in February.

"AASHE's best quality is its wealth of resources," Shuler goes on. "AASHE connects thousands of campus sustainability advocates through its resource database, campus spotlights, annual AASHE Conference, and the membership information. I have watched numerous webinars and read through tons of forums and bulletins to learn about all the amazing work being done in the campus sustainability field."

One of AASHE's most recent endeavors is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) program, a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

"[STARS] provides colleges and universities a way to examine their status in pursuing sustainability and what they can do in the future to meet the goal of sustainable development," Shuler says.

Shuler is also president of the Centre Environmental Association (CEA).

"My experience at AASHE has been one of many driving forces for my involvement here at Centre. Through their volunteer program, I've learned about organizational tools, online applications, organizational governance, and a good work ethic.

"More importantly for Centre, I learned a great deal about higher education and what campus sustainability can look like for a college or university," Shuler explains. "A great deal of Centre's projects and CEA events have an origin in the AASHE Bulletin or database."

In the upcoming academic year, in addition to Shuler's work with AASHE and the CEA, he will be Vice President of the Delta Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, a senior interviewer for Centre's admission office, and Director of Transportation for Centre's Norton Center for the Arts. He was a junior representative for the Student Government Association, and is currently a member of the President's Climate Committee. This summer, Shuler will continue volunteering with AASHE.

Shuler is the son of Steve and Jill Guenther of Versailles and is a graduate of Woodford County High School.

Centre College, founded in 1819, is a nationally ranked liberal arts college in Danville, Ky. Centre hosted its second Vice Presidential Debate on 10.11.12, and remains the smallest college in the smallest town ever to host a general election debate.