Newswise — Colgate University is pleased to announce the appointment of John Pumilio, a native of Frankfort, N.Y., as the university's first sustainability coordinator.

Pumilio will oversee Colgate's environmental initiatives and work with the campus community to improve awareness and advance green efforts. Pumilio, a graduate of State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, will begin at Colgate in April.

He is currently director of sustainability at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, W.A. Under Pumilio's leadership, Evergreen shaved more than 300 tons off its campus carbon footprint, saving the college tens of thousands of dollars. He also increased the amount of local and organic food served on campus and implemented a campus-wide composting program. In addition, Pumilio was instrumental in helping faculty members integrate sustainability into the curriculum.

Prior to his duties at Evergreen, Pumilio served as an ornithology instructor for the National Audubon Society in Maine, a field biologist studying biodiversity in the West Indies, and a wildlife technician working on the Florida Panther Project in the Everglades.

Pumilio is eager to join the Colgate community. "I look forward to collaborating with the staff, students, and other community members to press forward sustainability efforts. Mostly, I am eager to be part of Colgate's journey in becoming a nationally recognized leader in sustainability," he said.

For information about Colgate's green initiatives, visit www.colgate.edu/green.

Founded in 1819, Colgate University is a highly selective, residential, liberal arts college serving nearly 2,750 undergraduates with diverse backgrounds, interests, and talents. Colgate is situated on a rolling 515-acre campus in central New York State.