The green community is a huge part of our university now, but it hasn’t always been that way. David Whiteman, the faculty principal of West (Green) Quad, is finally stepping down after working a fruitful six and a half years toward making USC a more sustainability-oriented school.
Whiteman stepped into the role in 2006, only two years after the Green Quad started. Essentially building the quad up from scratch — only three people initially ran the program — he now oversees a small army of 45 staff members running one of the largest living and learning communities on campus. In the past six years, Green Quad has become a flourishing organization with students actively devoting themselves to the USC community and the environment. For playing such a huge role in accomplishing this, Whiteman deserves a round of applause.
For any institution, sustainability efforts are a mark of progress, and we’re proud of being a part of a school dedicated to these efforts. From planting gardens to hosting recycling projects and food drives, Green Quad has made its footprint on the university and the surrounding community.
Fortunately, Whiteman will still stick around to lead the Sustainable Carolina group at USC, but we’re appreciative of the work he’s done in making Green Quad what it is today. Hopefully Green Quad’s successes will continue under Kevin Elliott and our university will grow as a sculptor for an environmentally friendly future.