Meet the “Environmental Eight,” Top U.S. Colleges and Universities in Environmental Excellence

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enviance, Inc., in partnership with GreenBiz Group and Qualtrics, today announced the “Environmental Eight,” the eight colleges and universities out of the previously announced “Sustainable 16” that will be moving on to the next round of the Second Annual Environmental March Madness (#EnviroU) tournament. These eight schools have been recognized by the judges for their excellence in environmental academics and sustainability practices, as well as an exceptional level of student and faculty engagement in the tournament.

“We were very impressed by both the quality of the essay, video and photo submissions from faculty and staff of the ‘Sustainable 16,’ and by the quantity of material submitted”

The “Environmental Eight” are (alphabetically):

Colorado State University
George Mason University
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Ohio State University
University of California Santa Barbara
University of Virginia
University of Washington

"We were very impressed by both the quality of the essay, video and photo submissions from faculty and staff of the ‘Sustainable 16,’ and by the quantity of material submitted," said Lawrence Goldenhersh, CEO and president of Enviance, and a tournament judge. "The submissions detailed comprehensive academic programs, impressive on- and off-campus environmental and sustainability initiatives, and a fierce campus-wide commitment to sustainability with deep roots in the student body, the faculty, University/College leadership and the facilities management personnel. We congratulate the ‘Environmental Eight’ for advancing to the next round of the tournament and the entire round of 16 for plainly evidencing a deep commitment to environmental excellence.”

The Environmental March Madness tournament was designed to evaluate colleges and universities on environmental degree programs and curriculum, environmental opportunities for students and campus sustainability efforts. To move on to the “Environmental Eight,” the “Sustainable 16” were evaluated on their initial survey, as well as the second round of supplementary essays, videos and photos submitted by students and faculty. In total, the “Sustainable 16” submitted more than 800 photos, 150 essays and 30 videos. These “Environmental Eight,” schools will now be narrowed down further to determine the “Finest Four,” and ultimately the “National Champion.”

Tournament prizes include a $5,000 grant for the winning school as well as one all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego for a faculty member to attend and speak at the Enviance User Conference, April 22-26, 2013. Additionally, two students from the “Finest Four” will also be awarded Google Nexus tablets.

For more information on the Environmental March Madness tournament, please email Enviance@schwartzmsl.com, or visit http://www.enviance.com/march-madness. You can also receive real-time updates on Twitter by following @enviance and #EnviroU.

About Enviance

Enviance is the leading provider of Environmental ERP software, with more than 17,000 users in 49 countries. Our comprehensive solutions have been developed, tested and proven by serving the world’s leading corporations and government organizations for over a decade. As the world business community faces increasing sustainability challenges, Enviance Environmental ERP solutions enable organizations to measure, manage, report environmental performance and compliance needs. The Enviance system leverages cloud computing technology to deliver its Environmental ERP platform online in real-time—anytime, anywhere and enterprise-wide. Founded in 1999, privately held Enviance is based in Carlsbad, California. For additional information, visit http://www.enviance.com.

About GreenBiz Group

GreenBiz Group defines and accelerates the business of sustainability. GreenBiz Group is an integrated media company focused on supporting professionals who view sustainable practices as a core part of their businesses. GreenBiz is focused on telling the stories, providing the insights and advancing the sustainability profession through GreenBiz.com, GreenBiz Events, GreenBiz Intelligence, and GreenBiz Connects. For additional information, visit www.greenbiz.com.

About Qualtrics

Qualtrics is a leading global provider of enterprise data collection and analysis products for market research, voice of customer, employee performance, and academic research. Through an intuitive, easy-to-use interface and award-winning services and support, Qualtrics products enable both professional and DIY researchers to conduct quantitative research at a lower cost and in less time than competing alternatives. Founded in 2002, Qualtrics has more than 5,000 clients worldwide, including half of the Fortune 100, over 1,300 colleges and universities, and 95 of the top 100 business schools. For more info or a free trial account, visit www.qualtrics.com.