Accomplishments

Buildings/Grounds

  • MLK Center of Arts & Humanities (opened August 2024) is expected to become LEED Gold
  • Peace Park area fully restored to include several native trees and over 120 native flowers and shrubs
  • Bowie State University was a winner of the Climate Luminary Honors Award. 
  • BSU receives annual Tree Campus USA designation
  • The ELLC Building is LEED Gold Certified as of fall 2022.  
  • The LEED Platinum certified Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Nursing was completed in April 2017 and received LEED platinum in March 2019. See the sustainable features of the building.
  • A green plaza referred to as the Student Center Quad was developed in place of the old Crawford Science Building.
  • Student Center achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification in spring 2014, the first campus building to receive such certification and the first Student Union/center with such certification among all HBCUs. 
  • The Student Center features: a green roof and water gardens, a trayless cafeteria, and other energy saving measures.
  • The BSU football field was upgraded from natural grass to artificial turf, thereby saving in the cost of constant watering.
  • Close to 50 BSU volunteers planted a campus fruit tree orchard of 25 apple and pear trees donated by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation as part of a collaboration with Vitafusion to plant 200k fruit trees worldwide by 2020. The trees were planted on the tract of land between Lot L and Loop Road (near the Student Center).
  • Several BSU volunteers planted a small grove of 20 native trees lining the path to Bulldog Stadium.

Energy Efficiency

Transportation

  • BSU currently owns three (3) passenger electric vehicles.
  • University added fuel efficient multi-passenger vehicles to existing fleet of hybrid and electric vehicles
  • Electric vehicle charging stations are located in Parking Lots G,H, S, and K

Recycling & Waste Management

  • Between June 2022- June 2024, BSU had a total of 31.11 tons of paper shredded for recycling from the campus
  • 2022 recipient of Prince George’s County Waste Diversion and Recycling Award
  • Recycle bins were added to lobbies of all academic buildings
  • Annual Shred Day events annually securely destroy paper documents and the paper is recycled (temporarily suspended for campus-wide event)
  • Implemented an university wide ink cartridge/toner recycle program.
  • BSU composts in its kitchen area.

Solar

  • BSU hosts the installation of the world’s first solar charging bus station called the SolGreen® Casini™ Power Hub located on campus between MLK and CBGS buildings
  • The University has installed a large-scale solar panel system with the help of WGL Energy which includes 4 site locations expected to generate 2 million kWh of electricity per year or roughly 10 % of the campus needs.
  • BSU has also worked with General Electric utility company to install additional solar panels on the rooftops of the Student Center and FPAC buildings which may add roughly 2% of the campus needs. The usage can be monitored on the solar energy dashboards.
  • Parking Lot I includes a large scale solar canopy that will account for about 7% of the campus energy needs.
  • University purchased Solar energy Smart Tables in various locations across campus for charging electronic devices using 100% solar energy.
  • A solar heating system was installed in the school’s swimming pool.
  • BSU has a fully solar operated street light in Peace Park.
  • Four Big Belly solar trash compactors & recycle units operating from 100% solar energy which condenses trash near capacity and alerts grounds staff when near full to save gas on unnecessary trips to empty them.
  • See more about BSU solar projects here: https://bowiestate.edu/about/sustainability/solar-projects/index.php

Students/Events

  • BSU has hosted an annual Climate Career Expo annually from 2022-2026.
  • Campus hosts an annual Climate Career Expo
  • Undergraduate students elected to implement a yearly sustainability fee in 2012. Learn more about the Green Fund.
  • Graduate students agreed to add a yearly sustainability fee in 2013.
  • BSU established an Earth Week Program with various green & sustainable events, which has now morphed into Earth Month.
  • Student Green Ambassador group was created to work with C4 in its efforts.

Other Notable Accomplishments

  • BSU has an MOU with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • BSU has an MOU with the Environmental Protection Agency
  • President signs the Climate Leadership Commitment (2016)
  • Served as a host institution for the 2016 AASHE Conference (Baltimore MD)
  • BSU Students assisted in collecting data for a major local climate study & survey (2016 - pdf)
  • President signs Second Nature letter to Biden administration urging major reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 (2021).
  • BSU serves as annual host site for the Prince George’s County Student Environmental Alliance Summit (2023-present)
  • BSU is the only college that has regularly participated in Maryland Climate Teach-In kickoff events (2024-2026).
  • University Coordinator is appointed by Secretary of the Environment to co-chair of ECO Workgroup of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change
  • BSU student & staff reps participated in first ever Maryland Climate Teach-In kickoff celebration (2024)

Accomplishments & Recognition (2022-present)

  • 2022 recipient of Prince George’s County Waste Diversion and Recycling Award
  • 2023 Community Champion award for the ELLC Building by the U.S Green Building Council Maryland Community Leadership Award Council
  • University Coordinator received the Visionary Award from the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (October 2023)
  • University Coordinator received the Individual Climate Leadership Award from the Climate Registry Organization (May 2024)
  • Bowie State University was a winner of the Climate Luminary Honors Award (2026).  See story: Six Colleges and Universities Recognized with Climate Luminary Honors for Exemplary Climate Leadership - Second Nature
  • BSU Coordinator received the USM Board of Regents Staff Award for Extraordinary Public Service for the University or Greater Community  mostly for his work in environmental sustainability & education (2026)