MSSD Application Response...

This Saturday night on my way back from dinner with friends, I received notice on my early admissions application to Philadelphia University. Six weeks of running to read the mailbox everyday has come to an end in the form of a small envelope...I'm in! A letter stating my acceptance to the MSSD program starting this Fall and running for 27 months. Fist is pounding in the air, I'm screaming a little bit. I don't know if I've ever been so excited or felt so confident of being on the right track. This is really going to help position my career long-term with where my passion has been all along.

Now, I really need to start focusing because it is quickly becoming a reality. My math skills are below par and my only construction experience over the past few years has been side projects for friends and family. I know that I've got a bit of work cut out for me to get up to speed, but this is a challenge I'm fired up for. I don't just want to come into the program with an understanding of sustainable design and building practices, I want to be well-versed and current enough to make compelling and educated arguments that show my passions. This is going to be a fun ride!

Go Green Expo, More of the Same

This Sunday afternoon I went downtown to The Philadelphia Convention Center to check out the Go Green Expo that has been advertised in local media and sustainable networks. I was really looking forward to seeing some new ideas, small companies and visionaries who were helping shape Philadelphia's sustainable future. What I found was pretty disappointing. While I did find about four booths of inspiring companies and ideas, the rest fell short. It wasn't too different than the Valley Forge Convention Center Home Show, which feels like a bland blend of infomercials and large companies just setting up booths for the sake of it.

The Go Green Expo calls itself "The Nation's Premiere Eco-Friendly Tradeshow", but in reality it was a mostly a sales pitch for companies public relations departments.

The Good:
Grid - GridPhilly.com - A new local magazine focusing towards a Sustainable Philadelphia. I read both of the first two issues on my train ride home and it's very well written with great sustainable ideas.
SOLIBS - Building Green on Montrose - The small firm has a very interesting project going on over at their blog. I was able to talk to one of the partners, Christopher, and picked his brain for a little bit. They are very socially conscious and are building this project with a lot of emotion, sweat, and hard work. I wish them the best of luck.

The Bad:
WorkGreen - Workgreen.us - a company from LA pushing a green social network. "Really?" I asked, "are you doing anything different to set you apart from other social networks". Their answer was No. Basically an off-the-shelf, generic comminity site. Nothing is customized, they are just trying to get by on the word green alone. This is everything I hate about greenwashing. The sad thing is, this site will probably limp on for a while and they might make some money.

Preparing for a Change

Hello world, my name is David Ross and I'm your average young guy from Philadelphia. Yep, pretty damn average as in I'm a die-hard Eagles and Penn State fan. I've been a a web designer for about 5 years now and I finally have a great position at a small company that really gives me the freedom and creativity I've always looked for. The problem is, I just don't feel the same fulfillment I get when I'm doing hands-on carpentry or construction management type work. Something about the tangible results gives me a great sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. I've finally got to the point where I realize I've got to get on track and change something now. I'm intrigued by sustainable design and construction management and "green" technologies. I've just applied to the MSSD Program at Philadelphia University after following it for almost two years. So here on Blogger, I plan on documenting my journey; from mid-level web designer - to sustainable design professional...