Vassar College was recently awarded a nearly $1 million grant to establish an environmental research hub.
The Poughkeepsie college will use the grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to establish the Vassar Conservation and Environmental Engagement Cooperative, which will centralize and consolidate environmental research, outreach and education activities at the college.
The $997,564 grant award will enable renovation of a 5,600-square-foot wing of the Vassar Barn as home for the cooperative.
Marianne Begemann, dean of strategic planning and academic resources, said the local community and Hudson Valley organizations can also use the center for environmental and conservation work.
The renovated barn will house new activities and support current programs. External partners including the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, the Student Conservation Association and the Environmental Monitoring & Management Alliance will also share the space.
The funds also will be used to hire a manager to oversee daily uses and visitor services, a coordinator for environmental management and monitoring activities and full-time post-baccalaureate assistants to enlist local people and seek new partnerships.
