MEDIA CONTACTS: Michelle Sherrard (202) 994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu, Racine Tucker-Hamilton (202) 994-4413; rthmedia@comcast.net
The George Washington University School of Business Helps Game Day Become Greener Through a "Green Sports Score Card" Research Initiative
WASHINGTON — The GW School of Business' Institute for Corporate Responsibility (ICR) and Sport Management Program has launched a "Green Sports Score Card" project that will help sports organizations globally assess their environmental friendliness.
The "Green Sports Score Card" is an assessment tool sports teams, events, and organizations from the youth to professional level can use to determine their "Green Score" and compare how they rank among peers. The GWICR Sports Green Team, composed of students, faculty, and staff, will provide a report outlining ways to reduce a team's / event's/ organization's impact on the environment, ranging from immediate, no-cost ideas to long-range, budgeted items. The initial assessment will focus on the organization's front office, facilities, concessions, travel, equipment, policies, and event management.
"This is a great opportunity to involve both GWSB faculty and students in a research initiative so vital to the sports industry. As most teams and sports organizations are just now forming committees to tackle this issue, GWICR will lead the way in providing advice and assistance in finding the most efficient and effective solutions," said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, GWSB associate professor of sport management and leader of the Green Sports Score Card initiative. Dr. Neirotti was inspired to promote greening sports in the United States after attending the 2007 International Olympic Committees Sports and Environment Conference in Beijing.
GWICR's "Green Sports Score Card" initiative is a joint venture between the School of Business' Sports Management Program and the ICR's Environmental Sustainability Program (ESP). GWICR will also serve as a resource for sport teams, events, and organizations to research green "best practices" from around the world. Thanks to the support of The George Washington University, Brailsford and Dunlavey facility planners, and other contributors this services is provided free of charge.
"Various environmental measurement tools have been developed for different fields such as higher education, businesses, and individual households. A ‘Green Sports Score Card' is a natural and smart progression," commented Mark Starik, director of GWICR's Environmental Sustainability Program. "It will offer not only a baseline but an additional incentive for teams and sports organizations to take this issue seriously. It will help them act now to reduce their impact on the environment."
The GW School of Business Sport Management Program curriculum, offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level, prepares students to market and manage sport events, organizations, media, products, and athletes as well as sport-tourism destinations and facilities. Students learn how to succeed in a competitive marketplace through practical assignments with leading professionals and organizations in the sports industry. Since 1991, GWSB has placed over 700 students in the sports industry.
The GW ICR is devoted to the development and dissemination of scholarship, including research and teaching, pertaining to corporate responsibility. It serves as a vehicle for continuing education, curriculum development, conferences, and seminars. GWICR's Environmental Sustainability Program studies, advances, and critiques the integration of environmental issues and responses into the social and economic policies and practices of international and domestic businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations.
GW's School of Business prepares students for professional management careers. The depth and variety of its academic and professional programs, including five specialized master's programs, provide rich opportunities for students in the school's core Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, and doctoral programs. GW's undergraduate- and graduate-level international business programs rank among the world's best.
For more information about GW's School of Business, visit www.business.gwu.edu.
For more news about The George Washington University, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Michelle Sherrard (202) 994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMAN MUSTAFA KOC NAMED THE ROBERT P. MAXON LECTURER AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
WASHINGTON — International business executive Mustafa V. Koc, chairman of Koc Holding -- Turkey's largest industrial conglomerate and one of Europe's biggest companies -- has been named the 2008-09 Robert P. Maxon Lecturer by The George Washington University School of Business. Koc graduated in 1984 from GW with a degree in business administration.
"It is an honor to return to my alma mater as the Maxon Lecturer," said Koc. "Speaking to the next generation of business leaders on major issues facing international corporations today is an exciting prospect, especially considering GW's strategic location in the heart of Washington, D.C."
The Robert P. Maxon Lectureship was established through an endowment gift from Dorothy Maxon to the School of Business in honor of her husband, GW alumnus Robert P. Maxon. The annual lecture features prominent executives and academics addressing topics on contemporary global management issues. Koc's lecture will focus on the challenges of maintaining corporate social responsibility in the midst of heightened global competition. The event will be held Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at 6 p.m. in GW's Jack Morton Auditorium located at 805 21st St., NW. The event is free and open to the public.
"We are privileged to have Mustafa Koc, a distinguished alumnus, as this year's Robert P. Maxon Lecturer," said Susan Phillips, dean of GW's School of Business and professor of finance. "Having someone of his stature and expertise is a remarkable learning opportunity for our business students, our faculty, and the extended community."
Koc Holding is a family-owned corporation with major assets in the energy, consumer durables, automotive, and financial sectors. Its success led the family to create the Vehbi Koc Foundation -- named for Koc's grandfather, who founded Koc Holding -- to support healthcare, education, and culture in Turkey. In 2007, the Koc family received the Hadrian Award from the World Monuments Fund, an organization committed to the preservation and restoration of global art and architecture.
GW's School of Business prepares students for professional management careers. The school is a recognized education leader, the result of a strategy to improve its high academic standards while providing practical experiences that leverage the unique advantages of its Washington, D.C., location. The depth and variety of its academic and professional offerings provide rich opportunities for students in the school's undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
Located in the heart of the nation's capital, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in Washington, D.C. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.
For more information about GW's School of Business, visit www.business.gwu.edu.
For more news about The George Washington University, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
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