Pottstown Resident Selected to Join Clinton Global Initiative

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Widener University recently became the first university in the region to join the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI University) Network. A consortium, founded by former President Bill Clinton, which provides support and funding to students who are committed to developing solutions for some of the world's most pressing challenges.

Widener students were invited to develop a plan that addresses an issue at Widener, the community, or around the world and relates to one of five focus areas: education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation, or public health.

This past spring, a committee led by Dr. Suk -Chung Yoon, associate provost for experiential learning and global engagement, chose five projects to receive funding for the 2013-2014 year. Widener will provide a minimum of $10,000 from an endowment fund to be divided among the students selected to pursue their "Commitments to Action."

Ben MacLuckie Pottstown, PA, environmental science major, will travel to Costa Rica to the Las Lajas coffee farm to determine any synergistic effects between global warming and the cultivation of coffee.

The university will also mentor the student "commitment-makers" as they implement their plans. Each project has a faculty sponsor.

As a member of the CGI, Widener is committed to an evaluation each year to ensure it is constantly moving in a direction to pursue global engagement. The university is also committed to annually nominating students to attend CGI University, which is a way for students to showcase their research.

Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, leadership development and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener is comprised of eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences, professional and pre-professional curricula leading to associate's, baccalaureate's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university's campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., serve some 6,500 students. Visit the university website, www.widener.edu.