<body><div>A $5 million gift from Miami University alumni Sharon and Graham Mitchell aims to help the university accelerate its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. On Tuesday, during the school’s public celebration, “Flip the Switch for Sustainability,” Miami University President Gregory Crawford announced the creation of the Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park. The Mitchells, who graduated from Miami in the 1970s, are longtime supporters of the university and sustainability. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3afc4E_0viSBT8Q00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3afc4E_0viSBT8Q00" width="1679" height="1119" ><figcaption>The Mitchell Solar Park groundbreaking</figcaption></figure>The Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park will feature: <ul><li>Two ground mount solar panel installations (details below) in partnership with Melink Solar</li><li>Solar panel canopies over parking lots near the Western Geothermal Plant and the Miami University Child Development Center </li><li>A grand entrance facing State Route 73 </li></ul>It’ll have plenty of greenspace and walking paths that connect to nearby trails in Miami University’s picturesque natural areas. “When we heard President Crawford declare that Miami is committed to carbon net neutrality by 2040, and we heard him talk about Miami’s approach to get there by changing our own campus space – not buying carbon credits, well, it aligned perfectly with the change we want to be,” Sharon Mitchell said. <h2>An investment in the future</h2>Miami will break ground this winter on two ground mount solar photovoltaic installations. The Geothermal (North) Solar Field is going to be north of the Western Geothermal Plant, next to Hillcrest Hall and near the Western Upper Pond. It’ll sit above the Western Geothermal well field. The Thompson (South) Field will be on the site currently occupied by Thompson Hall, which Miami plans to demolish this winter, according to Cody Powell, associate vice president of Facilities Planning and Operations. The two solar fields will together produce 2,260 megawatt hours of electricity every year. The project will cost between $4 million and $4.5 million, according to Powell. Panel installation will take place either next spring or summer. One of the speakers on Tuesday was student Will Sayner, who emphasized that programs like Miami’s and investments like the Mitchells’ are necessary if we want to solve the climate crisis. “I want my children to be able to experience the world without worrying about the death of our planet,” said Sayner, in his second year working as a student assistant in Miami’s Office of Sustainability. “Miami University is a great example of how we can accomplish our sustainability goals and support future generations.” <h2>A lifetime of environmental efforts</h2>The project is something near and dear to Graham Mitchell’s heart. He spent 29 years working at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on surface water and tackling the investigation and cleanup of federal facilities. From 1985 to 1994, he was the lead regulator for a remediation project at Fernald, a former uranium metals production plant in Southwest Ohio. His work was the foundation for transforming Fernald into a beautiful nature preserve consisting of 385 acres of native grasslands and seven miles of accessible trails. After retiring in 2006, he has contributed his expertise by serving on boards for the Cincinnati Nature Center and Ohio Environmental Council. He also provided leadership on the boards of two land trusts. Sharon Mitchell spent her entire career at Procter &amp; Gamble. She’s also played important roles in guiding Miami’s future, including helping to lay the groundwork for school’s sustainability work. That includes helping to create and approve Miami’s geothermal program while on the board of trustees. “This land where we are standing was once the homeland of the Miami Tribe,” Graham Mitchell said. “We think it is very fitting that we honor the Miami Tribe by using part of this space to honor, respect, and invest in sustaining our planet.” </div></body>

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Alums gift $5M to Miami for sustainability goals

A $5 million gift from Miami University alumni Sharon and Graham Mitchell aims to help the university accelerate its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. On Tuesday, during the school’s public celebration, “Flip the Switch for Sustainability,” Miami University President Gregory Crawford announced the creation of the Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park.