Welcome from the Director

Dear Friends,

It’s cold outside, but that shouldn’t deter you from exploring the new parts of Loyola University Chicago’s campus. Be sure to stop by our Institute of Environmental Sustainability (IES) building, the newest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building on campus. While you’re here, grab a cup of coffee at Engrained Cafe and take a tour of our urban agricultural greenhouse housed under the Ecodome. Loyola was ranked the fourth-greenest campus in the nation by Sierra Magazine, and that’s in large part due to the work we’re doing at the Institute, Capital Planning and Facilities Management. This is work the University started over a decade ago when we began to focus on sustainability as a global issue, and it is Loyola’s continued emphasis on creating and sustaining renewable resources on campus that led to the creation of this Institute. 

This year, I’m thrilled to begin to provide you with regular updates from IES faculty and staff through our e-Newsletter. Our updates will include the progress we’ve made on our teaching, research and advocacy as well as ways you can make a difference as a student, staff or faculty member, alumnus, friend, neighbor and supporter of IES.

For now, please enjoy our latest e-newsletter.

Stay warm,

Nancy C. Tuchman, PhD

In addition to serving as the founding director of the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Dr. Tuchman has been a member of the Loyola University Chicago faculty for 26 years in the Department of Biology. She previously served as Vice Provost, Associate Provost for Research and Centers, Founding Director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy, and co-Director of the Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy. Dr. Tuchman is an aquatic ecologist and has served as President of the Society of Freshwater Science and a National Science Foundation Program Officer.

Join Us for Our Second Annual Climate Change Conference

• Justice:   What framework should guide our debates on reversing current trends?
• Motivation: What influences people to act with regards to climate change?
• Policy: What actions could result in significant policy and economic change?

IES Building Receives LEED Gold Certification by the US Green Building Council

New construction on Loyola’s campus comes with high expectations. Each newly constructed building must be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified at a silver or higher level. LEED certification granted by the US Green Building Council is a tool meant to support innovative designs in sustainable, green and energy-efficient building construction. The University has used LEED certification as its standard of excellence since 2007 when Klarchek Information Commons opened and has continued with the construction of Cuneo Hall, the Niehoff Nursing School, the Damen Student Union, di Nobili Hall, the Center for Translational Research and Education, and the John and Kathy Schreiber Center.  

As on of the newest members of Loyola’s fleet of green buildings, the IES facility has a number of features that make it inviting for both active scientific research and quiet reflection.  The building is located on the pedestrian boulevard, St. Ignatius Community Plaza, at the south end of campus, and houses an atrium that operates on passive ventilation, the Searle Biodiesel Lab, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and a 3,100 square-foot greenhouse called the Ecodome. That’s not all. The green café, Engrained, features seasonal local and organic produce and utilizes zero-waste strategies for disposal. Located near the café is San Francisco Hall, our 410-bed residence hall that houses our GreenHouse Learning Community. Our facility also includes green roofs and rainwater collection systems which store and reuse rainwater for greenhouse irrigation and bathroom toilets.
 

FUN FACT   Did you know the combined IES/BVM/San Francisco Hall facility is heated and cooled by the largest geothermal complex in Chicago? There are 91 wells, solidly built into the ground at a depth of 500 feet that provide over 700 tons of heating and cooling energy annually.

Student Dana Buelsing Leads Solar Thermal Feasibility Study

Sometimes the biggest impact you can have on the environment occurs at home. This was true for Loyola student, Dana Buelsing. Buelsing was concerned about the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas production and wondered what she could do to help. After talking with staff at the IES, she realized Loyola's main use of natural gas on campus was for heating, hot water, and cooking.

With this in mind, she applied for funding from The Green Initiative Fund, a fund designated by the LUC Division of Student Development to finance student-run projects pertaining to sustainability enhancements on campus. Buelsing’s project was selected and she received $10,000 to conduct a feasibility study for heating hot water in Loyola residence halls using the sun’s energy, a system called solar thermal. Buelsing led the effort with support from the Office of Sustainability, Facilities, and technical assistance by Elara Engineering.

Although many residence halls were not deemed appropriate candidates for rooftop soalr thermal installations due to existing hot water systems, limited mechanical spaces, or limited use during the summer months, the report suggests further consideration should be given to di Nobili, Fordham, Regis, Santa Clara, and Simpson Residence Halls. Continue reading the 2014 Solar Thermal Feasibility Study.

Would you like to make an impact on Loyola’s campus? There’s still time to apply for funding through The Green Initiative Fund. If you’re a student interested in having your own sustainability project, apply now! Projects must be faculty sponsored and applications are due January 24, 2015 at 3 p.m.

IES Academic Programs Raise the Bar on Sustainability

Core Courses Designed around Today’s Urgent Environmental Issues

How will global climate change affect our food production and distribution systems? How can we conserve and recover some of the planet’s lost or dwindling biodiversity and restore ecosystem function? What about preserving our natural resources or effectively identifying emerging environmental contaminants?

These questions (and their subsequent answers) are a part of the scientific inquiry and research being conducted on environmental issues at the Institute of Environmental Sustainability. In addition to rigorous scholarship, one of the primary goals of the IES is to create solutions to the stresses on our planet’s natural resources as well as expand knowledge about today’s most urgent environmental issues through teaching, research and advocacy.

“We’ve designed our academic programs to address pressing environmental threats to our planet and society as identified by the United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report,” says IES Director Nancy Tuchman. Courses on food systems and environmental economics are paired with classes like Environmental Sustainability and Science in China to give majors a broad understanding of today’s environmental issues.

Additionally, all Loyola undergraduates are required to take the University Core science course UCSF 137 “The Scientific Basis of Environmental Issues” primarily taught by IES faculty. Beyond this, IES now offers seven tier-2 University Core Science Literacy courses to further develop Loyola’s conservation ethic. This inclusion is a step towards educating our future-thought leaders on our planet’s environment.  The impact of these courses can already be seen in our expansion from 120 to 217 IES majors this fall.

The Institute offers five undergraduate programs designed to provide a solid scientific base of knowledge, with majors specializing in Environmental Policy, Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture, and Conservation & Restoration. Our faculty help students explore the relationships of humans to the natural world, and to develop the mental acuity and technical skills to formulate solutions to complex environmental problems. The IES also offers five-year dual degree programs (BA/MBA or BS/MBA) enabling students to apply sustainable practices in the business world. In Fall 2015, we hope to offer 5 year dual degree programs with a Masters of Public Policy and a Masters of Public Health. Additionally, two minors are available in Environmental Action & Leadership and Environmental Science.

Our programs allow students to gain the relevant knowledge, skills, and experience required for solving environmental problems locally, regionally, and globally. Visit luc.edu/sustainability or contact Academic Program Director Chris Peterson at 773-508-2950 for more information about our academic programs.

Upcoming Events

IES Seminars
All seminars are held at 4 p.m. in Room 124 of the IES building, unless otherwise noted.

January 20
Sustainability: A Concept Whose Time has Passed
Raymond L. Benton, Jr., PhD,  Professor of Marketing in Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business

Dr. Benton was Chair of the Department of Marketing for 14 years and founded the 5 year dual degree Environmental Science BS/MBA program. He teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.  He offers courses on survey research methodology, environmental issues, sustainable enterprise, sustainable marketing and environmental ethics.

February 3
Restoring Grasslands in Post-mine Sandpits: Plant Community Response to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Compost, and Biochar
Brian Ohsowski, Loyola University Chicago

Prairie plant species are excellent candidates for post-mine sand pit restoration. Plant reestablishment in sand pit substrate is often hampered by reduced soil fertility and extirpated soil biota. Dr. Ohsowski will discuss his research testing industrially feasible land management techniques to facilitate native plant growth and bolster soil communities in sand pits. Experimental treatments in this research added soil amendments (plant-derived biochar / municipal compost) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum.

Future seminars are scheduled for March 10 and April 7.  Stay tuned for more details.

Important Dates

January
Deadline.  January 24, 2015 at 3 a.m.  Student Applications due to The Green Initiative Fund. Contact Jared Brocklehurst or Meghan Pazik for more information.

February
RecycleMania: February 1-March 31
Join your fellow ramblers in eliminating 193 metric tons of CO₂ and use the eight weeks of Recyclemania to develop positive behavior about reducing consumption in your life and on our campus. Remember, reduce the one-time use of items and avoid excess packaging, reuse containers and recycle as much as possible.

Waste Week: February 9-16
To kick off Recyclemania, Loyola will be conducting composting tours and considering the University’s landfill and waste legacy (and of course, how to improve it). In addition, stay tuned to our website for a listing of films and discussions pertaining to Loyola’s Waste Week and Recyclemania.  

March
Water Week: March 16-22
Did you know 110 million gallons of water are used by Loyola each year? Water is one of the most important and unifying of issues. From water scarcity to water-related disasters, we are dependent on water for our health and our economy. Celebrate water and everything it provides during Water Week 2015.

Climate Change Conference: March 19-21
To Tend the Earth: Responding to the Global Climate Change Crisis will focus on the themes of social justice, personal and institutional motivations, and how to impact policy change. Open to the public, with registration.

Would you like to submit an item for consideration in our next e-Newsletter? Feel free to contact IES Communications Coordinator Shanna Yetman with ideas, thoughts and questions.