Calvin Hosts Michigan Governor

February 21 , 2007 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Summary: Calvin College hosted Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm on
February 20 for a special presentation on alternative energy.

For the full story, including JPGs, video, a powerpoint presentation and a
share-via-Facebook link, see:
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2006-07/granholm-visit.htm

A Calvin College engineering professor and six students presented a seminar on
wind energy to a very special guest on February 20 at the college's Bunker
Interpretive Center.

Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, who has made alternative and renewable
energy a focus for her administration, sat front and center as professor Matt
Heun and his students walked Granholm through recent Calvin efforts to harness
the power of the wind, including a grant from the state of Michigan to install
a demonstration turbine on Calvin's campus.

"We take our mandate to be stewards of creation very seriously," said Heun to
begin the approximately 20-minute presentation. The fulfillment of that
mandate, he went on, involves working on sustainable technologies.

Indeed the roof above the governor's head was a vivid demonstration of that
commitment to sustainability with its photovoltaic system that partially powers
the Bunker Interpretive Center. And the center itself (one of very few LEED
gold certified buildings on a college campus) is also an example of Calvin's
recent work on sustainability.

Calvin's demonstration turbine will be put into place this spring and is
expected to generate two kilowatts of energy for lighting and computers in the
Bunker Center.

After Heun's remarks a sextet of students all sketched out a different portion
of the demonstration turbine project for Granholm.

Concluding the presentation, Heun told the governor, "We're hoping that you've
been able to get a sense that learning opportunities abound here. We're
educating tomorrow's leaders for new technologies."

Granholm praised the enterprising nature of the wind energy demonstration
project and said it lined up well with Michigan's goals to establish new
technologies. "You're probably aware that this is an area as a state that we
should be capitalizing on," she said. "This state can be a magnet state for
both wind and solar industries."

Granholm also praised Calvin's faith-based emphasis on stewardship: "I'm so
pleased to hear that undergirds what you're doing here because that is so
critical." she said. "Thank you so much for your leadership on this."

Contact Matt Heun at mkh2@calvin.edu or 616-526-6663

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Received on Wed Feb 21 13:01:27 2007