To Heighten Excellence, Innovation and Resilience in Higher Education and Beyond
(Sarasota, FL 10-18-22) Today, New College of Florida announced “The New College Challenge.” Called a “grand experiment,” the initiative will bring together students and leaders from top universities, industries and the community to discuss the issues facing our campus and our region – with a focus on coastal, environmental, economic and social resilience.
“In the face of increasing pressures to become more relevant and resilient, colleges and universities have to stand out and take a stand,” said New College President Dr. Patricia Okker. “As the state’s designated public honors college, New College of Florida is rising to the challenge and embarking on this initiative to design a more resilient campus for the future.”
New College is enlisting experts from Harvard, Yale, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, Kean University, Syracuse University, Northeastern University and the University of Miami to lend their unique perspectives to The Challenge team. Some of these academic faculty members and student partners will help re-envision the spaces and places on the New College campus.
“We believe that having these renowned design thinkers with us for The Challenge provides an unparalleled chance to reimagine our coastal campus,” said Dr. David Brain, a professor of sociology and the director of the Urban Studies Program at New College. Brain is leading The Challenge’s academic focus for New College and working with the identified schools to create models for resilience during their upcoming Spring classes. Ultimately, the teams will present a public exhibition of their findings in Fall 2023.
“Now is not the time to play it safe. Instead, we see this as a time to take intelligent risks as we build toward a more resilient future,” Okker said. “Hurricane Ian heightened the opportunities to work together – in higher education, and with business experts and community leaders. We look forward to the exciting ideas from our partners as we launch The New College Challenge together.”
The New College Challenge Kickoff Week:
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. New College Challenge Launch and Brunch
Brunch includes an expert panel moderated by Anand Pallegar, founder of Dream Large, Sarasota
Special Guests:
William Dudley, New College alumnus, former president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Taryn Sabia, Associate Professor of Research, University of South Florida, and co-founder of the urban design collaborative, Urban Charrette, Inc.
Teri Hansen, President and CEO of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation
Location: Tent on the bayfront
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. New Topics Lecture
Featured Speaker: Chris Reed
Professor, Harvard University, Founding Dir. STOSS Landscape Urbanism
A leading national voice in transforming landscapes and cities, Reed will share his ambitious vision to be climate-ready in order to protect our coastlines.
Topic: “Climate Crisis Now! Learning and Landscapes in a Changing Environment.”
Location: Mildred Sainer Pavilion, NCF
8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Designing for Resilience Symposium
A one-day symposium on coastal resilience and adaptive strategies.How can we design more resilient communities in the face of coastal threats like storm surge? Engage with national experts as they present case studies and research relevant to the Gulf Coast. Your questions and input will offer direction for their ongoing work in our community during the months to come.
Location: Tent on the bayfront
About New College of Florida
Founded in Sarasota in 1960, New College of Florida is the state’s designated honors college and the No. 5 public national liberal arts college (ranked by U.S. News & World Report). New College provides students with limitless, original opportunities for success through a highly individualized education that integrates academic rigor with career-building experiences. New College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors in the arts, humanities and sciences; a master’s degree program in data science; and certificates in technology, finance and business skills.