The Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Vermont is among the winners of the 2005 New England Higher Education Excellence Awards announced by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE).

Established in 1994, the center integrates UVM and community expertise to promote sustainable farming systems throughout Vermont and the New England region. The center has secured more than $3 million in external funding for programs that support sustainable agriculture.

"The UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture is a true leader in sustainable agriculture in New England,” commented NEBHE President and CEO, Evan S. Dobelle. "The center's programs help ensure a strong future for agriculture in Vermont by offering professional development opportunities, workshops, programs and publications for new farmers; fostering viable farmland in the state; and increasing the understanding of the importance of sustainable agriculture," he added.

“We’re very proud that NEBHE has recognized the important contributions the center is making to agriculture in Vermont,” said Daniel Mark Fogel, president of the University of Vermont. “The center epitomizes the vital role the university has to play in serving the needs of Vermonters through its Land Grant mission and the creative energy it brings to the process.”

"It has been an honor and a pleasure for all of us at the center to help build a bright future for agriculture,” said Vernon Grubinger, director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture. “Any success we have had is due to our partnerships with creative farmers, dedicated extension and research personnel, and consumers that care about healthy food and vibrant communities."

NEBHE’s mission is to promote greater educational opportunity for residents of New England.

Each year, NEBHE presents three regional awards to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional leadership on behalf of higher education and the advancement of educational opportunity. The organization also presents six merit awards to honor the innovative work of organizations, institutions or individuals in each New England state.

The awards ceremony will take place on Feb. 25, 2005, at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza.

The awards presentation will also kick off a year of events celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the New England Board of Higher Education's service to the region.

A list of the 2005 award winners follows.

Regional Higher Education Excellence Awards:

Individual: The Hon. Melody Currey, Connecticut House of Representatives Program: National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellows Graduate Teaching Project, University of Maine

Walter R. Peterson Award for Leadership and Excellence in support of Higher Education Frank Newman, former Director of The Futures Project at Brown University and former President of the University of Rhode Island and the Education Commission of the States (posthumously)

New England Higher Education Merit Awards Winners:

Connecticut: Connecticut Hospital Health Education Partners Maine: Parents as Scholars Program, Maine Department of Health and Human Services Massachusetts: Richard M. Freeland, President, Northeastern University New Hampshire: The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College Rhode Island: The Hon. Frank Caprio, Chairman, Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education Vermont: University of Vermont, Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Additional information about NEBHE’s New England Higher Education Excellence Awards is available online at http://www.nebhe.org/excellence2005.