Mars, Incorporated received a score of 90 percent for a second year on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), after jumping from 60% in 2015. The national benchmarking survey reports on corporate policies and practices relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Mars’ score reflects its commitment to LGBTQ workplace equality, with respect to tangible policies, benefits, and practices.

Is there an opportunity for hybrid organizations to improve corporate sustainability?

The Sanofi Espoir Foundation, in partnership with the SIOP (International Pediatric Oncology Society), has for the third year launched a call for projects for nurses in pediatric oncology in low- and medium-resource countries. The aim is to reward and stimulate nurses' initiatives for projects that help fight against childhood cancer in the three areas of education, improving professional practice, and research.

Whole Planet Foundation’s annual Poverty Is Unnecessary Project provides opportunity for the world’s poorest people – mostly women – to take a microcredit loan and create or expand a home-based business for the opportunity to lift themselves and their family members out of poverty through their own hard work and creativity. Whole Planet Foundation supports impoverished entrepreneurs through microfinance partners in the United States and 69 other countries around the world.

As part of Whirlpool Corporation's efforts to increase sustainability initiatives at its facilities around the world, Whirlpool India has taken steps to offset electricity needs and replace diesel fuel at plants throughout the country.

UPS and the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced that new technology will be developed to convert UPS package delivery vehicles from diesel to electric. The project will support New York Governor Cuomo's aggressive goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

CBRE Group, Inc. announced that it received a perfect score of 100 percent for the fifth straight year on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality. With its high score in the CEI, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, CBRE is recognized as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.

CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery celebrated National STEM Day on Nov. 8, with an interactive event and STEM Teacher of the Year award, presented at the CITGO Skyline Venue inside the Texas State Aquarium. Students and educators who integrate Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) into classrooms at area schools joined CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline grant recipients from Del Mar College and Foy H. Moody High School at a celebration organized for their benefit. Guests were encouraged to apply their STEM skills at interactive stations set up throughout the event. Activities included molecule-building, slime-making and other science experiments.

Summer just ended and along with it my wonderful experience interning at Hewlett Packard Labs in Palo Alto. But thankfully I have some great memories to remember it by, from working with some really talented teammates to helping get local kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Being a Labs intern turned out to be much more fun than just sitting in a cube doing research. Our mentors and especially the intern coordinators arranged for us to have many opportunities for bonding with fellow interns and getting to know other researchers.