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The senior gift of the Class of 2018 was revealed as an electric car charging port – CNU’s first – on the ground level of the Ferguson Center Parking Deck. The Level-2 SemmaConnect EV charging station is capable of charging two electric vehicles (EVs) simultaneously in two reserved parking spaces. Dr. Katie Wiens of the Molecular Biology and Chemistry Department drove the first car to be charged at the port.
Cedra Brown ’18, president of the Class of 2018, spoke about the donations that made the EV charging port possible. “We knew supporting sustainability was a senior gift that would make a lasting impact,” she said. “We needed a place on campus where students, faculty and staff who were committed to lowering emissions could charge their EVs and, while this is only one charging station, we sincerely hope it is the first of many.”
Bill Brauer, CNU executive vice president, spoke about the efforts to make CNU a more environmentally friendly campus. “Caring for our community and our environment is paramount to living a life of significance,” he said. “Public and workplace charging locations grew 1,200 percent between 2011 and 2017 in the United States. Christopher Newport is proud to be among those institutions making a positive impact.”