For the second year in a row, DePaul University has been named to The Princeton Review’s guide to the nation’s greenest colleges.

“DePaul University has made significant strides toward becoming more environmentally sustainable through green building initiatives, conservation efforts, use of alternative energy sources and academic programs,” according to the profile in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 311 Green Colleges.”

The profile also cited the LEED Gold-certified Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan Science Building; several student-sponsored measures to support sustainability; transportation initiatives  such as a partnership with the I-GO car-sharing service on campus and participation in the Chicago Transit Authority’s U-Pass program; and DePaul’s environmental science major that provides research opportunities in restoration ecology, wetland science and conservation biology.

“The recognition speaks to DePaul’s long-term commitment to sustainability,” said Scott Kelley, assistant vice president for Vincentian Scholarship and co-chair of DePaul’s Sustainability Initiatives Task Force. He noted that plans for the McGowan Science Building were in the works many years before it opened in 2009, the same year it was honored with the LEED Gold designation.

The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in the 2011 guide hierarchically. The guidebook, published in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, is available online at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx

The distinction from The Princeton Review coincides with DePaul’s Sustainability Initiatives Task Force’s launch this week of a new website to keep the university community apprised of DePaul’s sustainability efforts.

About DePaul
With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, non-profit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on two Chicago campuses, four suburban campuses and several international locations. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds. For more information, visit www.depaul.edu