To RU students, faculty, and staff: please visit the STEM center on AUD 8th floor today 9/16 from 12:30 to 2:30pm in support of our McNair Scholars Program. Share your experiences in the program — whether as a McNair Scholar, a faculty mentor, or anyone who supports providing research opportunities and mentorship for underrepresented students @RU. As noted by the Council for Opportunity in Education:
On September 16th we are asking McNair staff, students, faculty mentors, alumni, and supporters to contact their U.S. Representative and both U.S. Senators to demand that the Department of Education protect McNair grants and release grant award notifications for 2025–2026 before September 30. McNair provides life-changing research opportunities, mentoring, and graduate-school preparation for students who are first-generation, low-income, or from underrepresented backgrounds. When McNair is weakened or cancelled, students lose access to the supports that lead to doctoral study, academic careers, and the intergenerational mobility our nation needs.
First, identify your Members of Congress at the online directory linked below. Then use your phone and email to reach out to their district and DC offices — aim for the education aide, legislative director, and district directors. If you can, do this during a break in your day: even a short call and quick follow-up email makes a difference. Your voice is the difference between silence and protection. On September 16, stand with McNair scholars: call, email, recruit five friends, and report your results. Together, we will make clear that McNair’s mission to prepare students for doctoral study and academic careers must be preserved.
Murray-Green Library
10th Floor, Auditorium Building, Chicago Campus
What is research? How can research help me? What does research look like in my major? How would I get started with research? Who should I contact to get involved in research? I’ve completed one project; what’s next? I’ve just transferred in, but I don’t know where to get started at Roosevelt! What are my peers’ experiences conducting research? Who else can I speak with about my process?
Information for students
Research & Inquiry Orientation day (RIO) welcomes all students across Roosevelt University colleges and departments who have conducted or are interested in research, inquiry, internship and similarly types of projects. Activities are geared for students at all levels–if you’re just learning about research, have just transferred to Roosevelt and/or students who are continuing to learn and build research experience.
Learn about research processes and opportunities in workshops led by departments and programs;
Connect with students interested in research through peer-to-peer sessions;
This one-day fall event on the Chicago campus aims to foster student interest in research and contribute to the creation of an inclusive research culture at Roosevelt. We will convene colleges, departments and offices to facilitate 30-60 minute sessions that offer students greater insight into research & inquiry practices across the disciplines. We hope the sessions will help familiarize students with research topics, resources, early skill-building, and information about opportunities to get involved whether department/discipline-specific or university-wide. In addition, we will facilitate peer- to peer networking sessions to build conversations among students about research activities.
Currently accepting session proposals from faculty & staff. If you or your department would like to participate in this event by hosting a session, moderating a discussion and/or referring students you think may be interested, please fill out our RIO ‘25 session submission form at this link (scroll down the page).
Welcome to a new semester! Here is some important info for you about purchasing textbooks for your Fall 2025 classes.
Laker Book Bundle: the Basics
Last year Roosevelt initiated a program meant to potentially save you money on your textbooks for your classes. The program is called “Laker Book Bundle” and all of you are automatically enrolled.
The way this works is that you will be charged $22.50 per credit hour you are enrolled this semester. For instance, 12 credit hours will cost you $270.00 for the semester.
You will receive rental books for all of your enrolled classes through the bookstore and then these must be returned by the last day of finals (which is Sat., December 13, 2025, but I’d go with Friday the 12th just to be safe).
If you want to stay in the program, you don’t need to do anything and your account will automatically be charged the designated amount on September 10, 2025.
Do the math for your book costs!
The purpose of this program is to streamline the book renting process and to save you money. For many of you, the Laker Book Bundle will be a good deal and will save you money as intended — some textbooks can be very expensive! However, depending on your class schedule and your textbook requirements, there is a chance that the Laker Book Bundle price could be more than the outright total for your books for the semester.
Two things to consider about cost:
Rent or Buy: Do you want to buy some of your books to keep, or do you want to rent all of your textbooks? Laker Book Bundle is only for rentals, though you have the option of buying your book(s) for an additional charge.
Total Cost: Add up the cost of your required books for the semester and compare against the Laker Book Bundle price. You can find the required textbooks for all of your courses through the University Bookstore website.
Opting out:
If you decide to opt out of the Laker Book Bundle program, you can do so at roosevelt.edu/lakerbookbundle and follow the prompts. Make sure you keep these important deadlines in mind!
The deadline to opt out is September 9, 2025
If you don’t opt out your account will be charged automatically on September 10, 2025
If you have any questions about this, let me know and I’ll try to track down answers for you! Your best bet, though, is to contact the RU bookstore first.
Today 8/5/25 I’m forwarding a message to anyone in higher education concerned about public health and environmental protection from Dr. Debra Rowe, President of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development. Please consider making a comment by the 8/7 and 8/11/25 deadlines noted below!
I am reaching out today to encourage all higher education faculty, [students,] and staff to help defend important air quality standards currently being slated for rollback by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and the Carbon Pollution Standards for Fossil Fuel-fired Power Plants. These standards were recently finished by the Biden administration and protect our climate, our communities, and our financial and physical health.
Please submit comments to the EPA now or as soon as possible, using both of these links:
These online forms provide fact sheets and bullet points to use (or you can write your own), so submitting your comments to the EPA is quick and easy. Please share this info with your networks!
Thank you for your continued support for the fight for cleaner air and a more sustainable future.
Today 6/8/25 is World Ocean Day and to mark the occasion, I’m sharing a short film created by Ryan Trotter, a young up-and-coming filmmaker and the son of my longtime Sustainability Studies at Roosevelt University faculty colleague, Michele Hoffman, who collaborated with Ryan on the project. As if that’s not cool enough, the legendary marine biologist, oceanographer, and deep sea explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle provides the voice of the ocean.
World Ocean Day catalyzes collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate, working in collaboration with youth leaders and a wide range of organizations. World Ocean Day belongs to all groups and individuals, collectively, everywhere. It’s about how we can create a better future with an abundant ocean and a stable climate, by working together.
Hey, RU students! You’ve got three more days to catch the RU faculty and claim victory for this year’s Ecochallenge at Roosevelt! As of 2pm on Mon 4/28, the 16 faculty are still ahead of 19 students, 1990 to 1609 points.
Warning! This is NOT your run-of-the-mill recycling event!
Today Th 4.24 from 5-7pm in WB 418 — RU’s First-ever Drag Trash Competition and Show, the “Trashion Pageant”
This will be a historic first at Roosevelt, and if we may say so, long overdue! See the possibilities of “trash” in this one-night Project Runway-style competition. Free food! What’s not to like!? Hosted by the students of RU Green (WB 418). RSVP here on Laker Connect!
It’s Earth Week 2025, and whether you’re on or off campus, you can participate in and contribute to the sustainability of our university. “How?” you ask. Keep reading! (Upcoming events listed first; past events archived at the end of this page.)
Mon 4/21, 12:30-2pm — Mental Health Garden Planning Session: Join RU Green members & friends as they gather in the new RU Mental Health Garden (AUD Library, 10th floor) to brainstorm future plans and ideas, figure out watering schedules, and seeing who is interested in contributing to the Garden in the future. Email RU Green for more info.
Tues 4/22 Earth Day, 12:15-1:30pm — Make your own Seed-Bomb at the RU Mental Health Garden. Learn about the importance of native plants and make seed bombs with recycled materials. Free food and cool stuff! (AUD Library, 10th floor)
All day— Get outside! Take a walk . . . get some fresh air . . . listen to birdsong . . . pick up some litter . . . join an environmental demonstration . . . learn about the original Earth Day . . . do some gardening or start a nice little compost pile (you get the idea)
Tues 4/22-Mon 4/28 — One Earth Film Festival: The Midwest’s premier environmental film festival creates opportunities for understanding climate change, sustainability and the power of people. It showcases top-issue, thought-provoking environmental films, leads audiences in interactive post-film discussions focused on solutions, and offers concrete actions people can take. One Earth Film Festival is a production of One Earth Collective.Click Here for the 2025 Line-Up!
Th 4/24, 5-7pm — Drag Trash Competition and Show. This will be a historic first at Roosevelt, and if we may say so, long overdue! See the possibilities of “trash” in this one-night Project Runway-style competition. Plus, free food! (WB 418)
Fri 4/25, 10am-2:45pm — Earth Week Beach Clean-Up with RU Green & the Captain Paul Watson Foundation’s IL Chapter. Come join students from RU Green & CPWF for a fun service project along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront at 18th St Beach, just south of the Adler Planetarium. Look for details here and on Laker Connect (Meeting place TBA).
Thur 5/1 & Fri 5/2, 12-3pm –RU’s Annual Green-up / Clean-up Event: We are pleased to announce this year’s Green Up / Clean Up event on both campuses (Th at Schaumburg, Fri at Chicago), which is dedicated time for the University community to connect with colleagues, clean our spaces, purge old documents and redistribute resources.
WHEN: Thursday, May 1 | Noon – 3 p.m. | Schaumburg Campus; Friday, May 2 | Noon – 3 p.m. | Chicago Campus
During Green Up Clean Up offices are encouraged to:
Spruce up their personal spaces.
Grab some snacks in AUD320 (Chicago Campus) and SCH616 (Schaumburg Campus).
Make it a Spirit Day! Wear your RU gear. Faculty and staff get a discount in the bookstore. Comfortable clothes and shoes recommended for the day.
Donate and reallocate unused office supplies (Notepads, pens, Post-Its, markers, folders, etc.). Supplies should be delivered to the The Dean of Students Office, AUD204 (Chicago). Carts outside room 126 (Schaumburg)
Purge old documents. Speed packs and secure trash bins will be available in Ida B. Wells Lounge and the Wabash Lobby to deliver documents to a Pro Shred shredder truck on Wabash Ave. Schaumburg documents should be taken to the dock. Faculty and staff are responsible for transporting their confidential documents to the trucks. Plan ahead to ensure documents can be purged on Friday between Noon and 3 p.m. Please review our document retention policies.
Recycle bins for electronics recycling will be available in the libraries on both campuses.
Donate books (Book donation bins will be provided in the libraries on both campuses)
All Month — Participate in the Earth Month 2025 EcoChallenge competition(students vs faculty/admin/staff) – Join this undeniably competitive yet somehow thoughtfully meditative tradition of RU students vs everyone else as you engage in and document your sustainability-related activities during Earth Month — and hopefully de-stress a bit while lowering your carbon footprint.
It’s super easy to sign up for either the RU Fac+Admin+Staff Team or the RU Student Team for this year’s Earth Month Ecochallenge. Yes, it’s online and requires the use of a Device. But if you’re using your phone-thing or your laptop anyway, why not take a short break from looking at silly cat videos or soul-killing doomsday news and do something more mindful and earthwise? Winners get bragging rights for the rest of the year! Ahem . . . like the students did back in 2019 when they soundly trounced the faculty. (Some profs are still trying to recover from that trauma.)
Fri 4/18 update: As of this afternoon, the RU Fac+Admin+Staff Team (16 members, 1576 points) remains in the lead and is 5th in the state of IL in average points per member (89), while the RU Student Team (19 members, 1175 points) is staying in the race. Will the faculty extend their lead in coming days, or can the students close the gap? Keep posting and stay tuned!
RU Students: create an account, join the Roosevelt University student team, choose your challenges, and get started! The small changes you make today can lay the groundwork for big changes in the future. Click here to create an account and start choosing your challenges! RU Faculty and Staff: you can get in on the action, too! Create an account, join the RU Fac+Admin+Staff team, choose your challenges, and get started!
Earth Day/Week/Month Service Opportunities & Events throughout Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and other organizations. Check out the many events listed here in the city by C3 as well as these by Friends of the Parks. Outside of Chicago, look up your county’s Forest Preserve Earth Month calendar for service and conservation opportunities. Help clean up parklands, restore natural areas, and meet conservation-minded and nature loving sustainability nerds from across the city. Fun and rewarding in a deeply spiritual and dirt-under-your-nails kind of way!
Now until Friday, April 18, 2025 —Applications are open for RU’s new Summer 2025 Community-based Research & Environmental Justice course. RU’s Office of Student Research and Department of Law, Society, & Sustainability will support 8-10 undergrad students in a field-based 3-credit EXL research course with full tuition funding plus a small stipend for travel. That’s a pretty awesome deal for Roosevelt students seeking a gen ed, EXL, or elective class!
This hybrid course, cross-listed as POS / SOC / SUST 262, will meet on selected Fridays (9:30am-1pm) and online from June 6 – Aug 1. And if students want to take an additional course this summer to accelerate their degree completion, they can do a “two-fer” and earn 6 credits for the cost of 3.
Our community partner this summer is theSoutheast Environmental Task Force (SETF), a grassroots organization on Chicago’s Southeast Side that has advocated since the 1980s for both people and nature. SETF’s current sustainability initiatives and environmental activism focus on climate and environmental justice, pollution reduction, clean energy policy, sustainable land use, public health protection, and more.
Deadline: Application review begins April 11; final deadline is April 18.
Eligibility: Current RU undergraduates in any major; at least 15 credit hours completed at the time of application, including earning a C or better in ENG 102; minimum GPA of 2.0 overall (2.5 preferred).
Course Info: 3 credit hours of either POS, SOC, or SUST 262 Environmental Justice; counts as social science and EXL credit for CORE general education requirements as well as a major elective for POS, SOC, & SUST majors.
For more info: email Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), Chair of the Dept. of Law, Society, & Sustainability; or Dr. Laura Nussbaum-Barberena (osr@roosevelt.edu), Director of the Office of Student Research
