Timeline Proposal - The Growth of the Robert A. Macoskey Center

For my Timeline Assignment, I would like to cover the history of the Robert A. Macoskey Center, the Sustainable Systems Education and Research center at Slippery Rock University. The Macoskey Center serves as a resource to Slippery Rock students and community members to learn about the environment and sustainable living.

My timeline will begin with the founder, Dr. Robert A. Macoskey, who created the center in 1990. The creation of the Macoskey Center was to give Dr. Macoskey a place to help his ALTER (Alternative Living, Technology, & Energy Research) project grow. The Macoskey Center is housed by 83-acres of land, which was donated to Slippery Rock University by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Since then, the Macoskey Center has been making strides in environmental and sustainability education. One of these accomplishments is the revamp of the Harmony House. After several renovations to make the building more eco-friendly, the Harmony House got LEED-Certified Silver in 2011. This house also features things such as a composting toilet, a geothermal heating and cooling system, a small aquaponics lab, and Bob’s Cupboard, a food pantry for SRU students. In addition to Bob’s Cupboard, the Macoskey Center features many things for students such as their hiking trails and a study area.

They also partner with professors to provide students with experiences in sustainability. They host volunteer days where students can get their hands dirty around the property, learn about sustainability, and visit the chicken coup. The Macoskey Center is something that a lot of students are unaware of, or they don’t realize all the great things it offers for students. My timeline will outline the amazing strides that the Macoskey Center has made and help inform students and the community on everything it has to offer.