Attend Social Justice Day @RooseveltU this Th 3/13

March 10, 2025

Thursday, March 13, 2025, at Roosevelt University
10 a.m. – 1:20 p.m.

430 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605
Ganz Hall, 7th Floor

Social Justice Day Moderator:
Natasha L. Robinson, JD, Deputy Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator

Social Justice Day 2025 features a panel discussion of the Chicago Future Fund and the annual Matthew Freeman Lecture. The Chicago Future Fund panel features the work of two distinguished RU Sociology alumni: Richard Wallace, founder of the Equity and Transformation (EAT) community organization; and Dr. Ashley Baber, professor of Sociology at Augsburg University. Rounding out the panel are Rachel Pyon, research director of Equity and Transformation (EAT), and Deon Hodrick, a participant in the Chicago Future Fund.

Mr. Wallace’s EAT organization launched a Universal Basic Income program, providing formerly incarcerated people $500 each month to help them transition back home. Dr. Baber conducted a one-year study of the program to assess the impact of the money on reducing recidivism rates (likelihood they commit a crime) and reducing homelessness among formerly incarcerated people. Both Richard and Ashley are great examples of what students can do with their sociology degree from Roosevelt University.

This year’s Matthew Freeman Lecture by RU alum Melanie K Hall will address the importance of centering social justice in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work toward building communities that share power. Throughout the day, attendees will participate in a series of community building activities; a Q&A session; book signing for 2025 lecturer Melanie K. Hall’s new book Change Your Words to Change Your World: A Guide to Breaking Dysfunctional Patterns of Communication in Marriage, Relationships and the Workplace; and the “Pizza with a Purpose” reception.

This Social Justice Day celebrates our 80^th Anniversary. Roosevelt University was born in 1945 when a visionary leader and 62 faculty members had the guts to go against the norms of exclusion in favor of inclusion. They went against the discriminatory practices of higher education in 1945. When asked to limit access because of race, religion and gender, they simply said, “We don’t count that way.” Our history is grounded in courage, acceptance, and a commitment to social justice.

Event Hosts: College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences; Mansfield Institute of Social Justice; and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Co-sponsor: The DEI Advisory Council Leadership Team

For more information, contact Natasha Robinson.

Light refreshments will be served.

Apply for REU Fellowships for Summer 2025

January 26, 2025

Hey RU students — especially SUST majors and minors . . .

The annual Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) has literally hundreds of PAID summer research fellowships in the US that you can search for and apply to. These are well-compensated and you learn a ton doing one of these fellowships as a rising junior or senior.

This REU database is searchable by geographic region, general research area, and keyword. When I did a simple search for “sustainability” I got 50 hits. Check it out!

If you’re wondering, “Have any recent SUST majors got one of these awesome fellowships?” — the answer is yes. Here’s a cool post by Kiera Carpenter (BA in SUST ’24) who completed one of these REUs at the Chgo Botanic Garden in the summer of 2023.

Remember, you can’t get one of these gigs unless you apply!

Heads up! Roosevelt University Business Career Fair (Fall 2023) is Tomorrow 9/26

September 25, 2023

This fall’s College of Business Career Fair is open to all students and alumni. We have a great lineup of employers looking to hire for both internships and jobs. Come ready to meet with employers.

Meet us in Wabash on the 3rd & 4th floors between 1pm – 5pm. Below is the lineup of employers who will be in attendance. Make sure to go on Handshake to learn about the roles these companies are looking to hire for.

While at the fair, don’t forget to take advantage and get your FREE professional headshots. Stop by WB 324, inside the Office of Career Services, during the Business Career Fair tomorrow.

We look forward to seeing you there!

RU Alumni Scott Rosenzweig & Jeff Kressman: Starting ESG Core Advisors LLC

April 24, 2023April 28, 2023

Corporate/Industrial ESG — Operations, Management, and Organizational Culture
RU Alumni Scott Rosenzweig, MBA ’98, Founder and CEO of ESG Core Advisors (LinkedIn profile) and Jeff Kressman, MSMC ’83, VP Marketing of ESG Core Advisors (LinkedIn profile)

This Tuesday 4/25 at 5pm CST, please join us for our third virtual Master Class on the relations between sustainability business, when we host Mr. Scott Rosenzweig (MBA ’96), Sustainability Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of ESG Core Advisors, and sustainability consultant/strategist for mid-market companies seeking to integrate sustainability into their mission and operations. As a proud 1996 alum of RU’s Heller College of Business, Scott is highly engaged with our university in various capacities, notably serving on the HCB Advisory Board and mentoring business students as they seek out their career pathways.

Scott is a dynamic and engaging speaker who will share his compelling personal story of business and management success as well as why and how he started ESG Core Advisors to help transform and inspire corporations to lead us toward a sustainable future.

Joining Scott is his colleague and fellow RU alum Jeff Kressman (MSMC ’83), VP Marketing of ESG Core Advisors. Jeff views “communications as the ‘glue’ that pulls together the internal and external activities of any organization, solidifying its brand. Today, there are more exciting tools available than ever before – including social media — to facilitate the communications process. But it is challenging to put all the separate pieces together to create a consistent story that sticks in the customer’s mind. I thrive on helping you accomplish that.”

Zoom Login Info:

https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/99002167623?pwd=Q3VKdndzVE1RdndEOTQzVUNpNVdZdz09
Meeting ID: 990 0216 7623
Password: 871074

This Earth Month 2023 @RooseveltU on Tuesdays we explore different aspects of the critical role of sustainability in today’s business world. Distinguished RU alumni from the Colleges of Business and Arts & Sciences are giving special guest presentations each Tuesday 5-6pm CST, in Prof. Jennifer Muryn’s MGMT 390 Contemporary Topics in Business online class. These SUST + MGMT alumni talks are open to the RU and Resilience Studies Consortium community via Zoom. Please join us!

Help RU Plan for a Sustainable Future! (Join the ESC Meeting on Fri 3/17)

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023

The Environmental Sustainability Committee @RooseveltU will have its next strategic sustainability planning meeting of the 2022-23 academic year on Friday, 3/17, from 3pm to 4:30pm on Zoom (see login info below).

The ESC is an open committee formed in 2010 that welcomes participation and encourages collaboration across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and friends. Our key task this spring is to finish the Strategic Sustainability Planning effort begun in Fall 2022 and produce a revised Plan for 2023-28 by the end of this Spring 2023 semester.

This planning meeting will focus on reviewing and analyzing feedback from the Fall 2022 campus planning workshops, events, and presentations as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. From this foundation, we will develop consensus on RU’s campus sustainability goals for the next five years and prioritize concrete initiatives to achieve said goals.

Please see the 2022-23 Campus Sustainability Planning webpage for notes, slides, zoom recordings, and other resources related to this effort.
Updated information will be posted to this Events page on Inside Roosevelt, at the above planning website, and via email prior to the 3/17 meeting for the RU community’s review and input. Everyone’s ideas, perspectives, and constructive criticisms are needed and valued in this process.
Also note that Roosevelt’s just-renewed annual membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides anyone with an active RU email address full access to AASHE’s online resources. Take advantage and avail yourself!

To RSVP and get a Zoom link for the meeting (and/or for questions), please email Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies; chair of the Dept of Sociology & Sustainability, CAS; and chair of the ESC.

Doodle Poll for Next Environmental Sustainability Committee Meeting @RU

March 2, 2023March 3, 2023

The Environmental Sustainability Committee @RooseveltU will have its next meeting (on Zoom) of the 2022-23 academic year the week of March 13th, day/time TBA. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this Doodle Poll by Mon 3/6/23. Pending your feedback, a meeting invite will be sent out by the end of this week as we head into spring break.

The ESC is an open committee formed in 2010 that welcomes participation and encourages collaboration across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and friends. Our key task this spring is to finish the Strategic Sustainability Planning effort begun in Fall 2022 and produce a revised Plan for 2023-28 by the end of this Spring 2023 semester.

This Wk9 meeting will focus on reviewing and analyzing feedback from the Fall 2022 campus planning workshops, events, and presentations as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. From this foundation, we will develop consensus on RU’s campus sustainability goals for the next five years and prioritize concrete initiatives to achieve said goals.

Please see the Fall 2022 Campus Sustainability Planning webpage for notes, slides, zoom recordings, and other resources related to this effort. Everyone’s input, ideas, and perspectives are needed and valued! Also note that Roosevelt’s just-renewed annual membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides anyone with an active RU email address full access to AASHE’s online resources. Take advantage and avail yourself!

Here’s that link to the ESC Doodle poll again: https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/er21o46e

Questions? Email Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies, chair of the Dept of Sociology & Sustainability, CAS.

The Joseph Loundy 2022 Human Rights Symposium @RU: History, Health, & Sustainability (this Wed 11/30)

November 23, 2022November 30, 2022

When we look to history, there is much to be learned about human rights. We may find that local and global movements were born from particular events — often traumatic, and with great political, health and environmental impacts. Can the past inspire change for the future through activism and advocacy?

Please join the Roosevelt University community for the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project’s 2022 Symposium and Luncheon on Wed 11/30 from 11am to 1pm in WB 418 at RU’s Chicago Campus. Distinguished guest panelists will explore the intersection of history, health policy and environmental sustainability, and how each individually and collectively can promote human rights and social justice.

Students will also present work from three related courses in RU’s College of Arts & Sciences: Public Health Issues and Ideas, taught by professor La Vonne Downey; Service and Sustainability, led by professor Mike Bryson; and Transatlantic Perspectives: Representing History and Trauma, co-taught by professors Margaret Rung (RU) and Arnoud-Jan Bijsterveld (Tilburg University, the Netherlands).

Featured Distinguished Panelists:

Mike Beard, global health director for the Better World Campaign
Diana Sierra Becerra, assistant professor of history at University of Massachusetts Amhurst
Gina Ramirez, Midwest outreach leader for the Natural Resources Defense Council, board president of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, and RU alum (MA Sociology ’14)

SUST 350 Service & Sustainability Student Team: “2022 Strategic Sustainability Planning @RooseveltU”

Kiera Carpenter, SUST junior
Sophia Gallo, SOC senior
Kayla Nelson, PSYC senior

This event is free! RSVP here for the symposium and lunch: https://alumni-giving.roosevelt.edu/loundy-project-2022-symposium

Can’t attend in person? Join in the conversation on the livestream via Zoom!

ESC Meets Tonight 11/16 at 7pm on Zoom

November 16, 2022

The Environmental Sustainability Committee @RooseveltU has its next virtual meeting of the 2022-23 academic year tonight 11/16/22 from 7-8:30pm CST (Zoom info below). Everyone in the RU community — students, alumni, faculty, staff, admin, and trustees — is invited and encouraged to attend!

This important meeting will focus on (1) reviewing feedback from our two rounds of campus planning workshops as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. In addition, we will start the process of (2) developing consensus on goals for the next five years and (3) prioritizing concrete initiatives that will achieve said goals. Please note: if you cannot make the meeting, you can still provide input via the above survey links as well as review the slides and notes from the meeting after they are posted.

The ESC is an open committee est. in 2010 that welcomes participation and encourages collaboration across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, trustees, and friends. Our key task this fall is updating our 2015-20 Strategic Sustainability Plan with assistance by students from Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class.

Please see the Fall 2022 Campus Sustainability Planning webpage for notes, slides, and other updates and resources related to this effort. Your input, ideas, and perspectives are needed and valued! Also note that Roosevelt’s membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides anyone with an active RU email address full access to AASHE’s many useful online resources. Take advantage and avail yourself!

Questions? Email the ESC chair Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies, chair of the Dept of Sociology & Sustainability, College of Arts & Sciences.

Zoom Info:

Topic: ESC Meeting 2022-11-16
Time: Nov 16, 2022 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/92494972769

Meeting ID: 924 9497 2769

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Michael Bryson

Professor & Director of Sustainability Studies @RooseveltU, Chicago IL

Category: Alumni