Morehouse College has received a $500,000 grant from the Southern Company Foundation to launch a new endowed professorship in sustainability. The award, part of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Sustainable Communities Initiative, will expand academic study and research in green energy and prepare rising Morehouse Men for careers in renewable energy, urban planning, and environmental law and policy.
The HBCU Sustainable Communities Initiative is being led by a collaborative partnership between INROADS, UNCF, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). The initiative's mission is to empower scholars with the expertise and opportunities necessary to become visionary leaders in building equitable and sustainable communities. Morehouse will seek a matching grant to bring the total investment in the project to $1 million.
“The Southern Company Foundation is excited to support HBCUs through these endowed professorships,” said Myra Bierria, Foundation President. “This initiative reflects our belief in education as a catalyst for real-world solutions to sustainability opportunities.”
The new grant will help to scale the Morehouse Center for Sustainability and Innovation, giving it the capacity to produce multidisciplinary research and community-based environmental projects. It will also fuel an expansion in the study of sustainability, providing more courses for students and exposure to high-impact career pathways and professionals in the field.
"This grant underscores Morehouse College’s commitment to being at the vanguard of environmental stewardship and social innovation," said Dr. F. DuBois Bowman, 13th President of Morehouse College. "By expanding our Center for Sustainability and Innovation and introducing a new professorship, we are ensuring that our scholars become the next generation of solutions architects for climate change and resource management across global industries."
"As we move into the 21st Century, our goal is to position our students to solve complex challenges facing the world,” added Shadeed Abdul-Salaam, the executive director of Morehouse’s Center for Sustainability and Innovation. “Our interdisciplinary approach centered on sustainability and innovation will be our guidepost in serving humanity.”
Morehouse is seeking additional support for sustainability scholarship and practice so that students will be prepared to secure elite environmental management internships, research fellowships, and lead in spaces that are shaping a more resilient and equitable future.
“We are deeply grateful for this generous leadership gift from the Southern Company Foundation,” said Hodan Hassan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “We are committed to raising additional funds to expand this work and invite partners to join us in preparing the next generation of leaders to drive meaningful change in sustainability across the globe.”