Also see the pdf version of this image.
Category: Education
SUST 390 Writing Urban Nature (May 2017)
For more details, check out the course preview page here!
Please share this poster/link far and wide (pdf).
Friends of Volo Bog Offer $1K College Scholarship; Apply by March 31st
The Friends of Volo Bog organization is offering an Entering College scholarship and a Continuing College scholarship for $1,000 each to outstanding students interested in pursuing an environmental career.
To be eligible for the Entering College scholarship the applicant must reside in Lake, McHenry, Kane, Cook, DuPage, Kendall, or Will County, attend a high school in one of these counties, have a minimum B average for the first three years, and plan to attend an accredited college or university. The applicant should be planning to enter a career directly related to preserving the natural environment.
To be eligible for the Continuing College scholarship the applicant must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university pursing a degree directly related to preserving the natural environment, have a permanent residence in Lake, McHenry, Kane, Cook, DuPage, Kendall, or Will County, have graduated from a high school from one of these counties with a minimum B average, and currently hold a minimum B average in their college studies.
Applications are due by March 31st each year for the following school year starting in the fall. Application packets are available here.
The Friends of Volo Bog is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to promoting citizen awareness of the local natural heritage of Volo Bog State Natural Area, portions of which are dedicated state nature preserves, and to preserving the same through special events, educational and training programs, acquisitions of properties for such purposes and taking whatever steps deemed necessary to insure the continued care and preservation of Volo Bog State Natural Area as a natural site.
Introducing “Rooftop: Second Nature” — Remarks at the Opening Reception, 9 Feb. 2017
Nature within the urban landscape is simultaneously close at hand and hidden from view — a paradox of proximal obscurity. Yet its myriad forms are as diverse in kind as their human denizens. City parks, urban farms, back yards, forest preserves, vacant lots, and green rooftops — all these and more comprise the spaces of urban nature.
Despite the ubiquity and diversity of urban nature, it remains largely invisible to and thus unappreciated by many city dwellers. We are much more likely to assume nature exists “out there,” away from our cities and suburbs — especially in remote places characterized by few people and sublime landforms. An implicit corollary to that is that the city is unnatural.
Yet the recent coinage of the seemingly oxymoronic phrase urban wilderness signals that we have begun to re-envision the role of nature within metropolitan landscapes. This nature is almost always hybrid in character, a product of human design and action even when appearing “natural” in outward form. Consider our location right here, along the southwestern rim of Lake Michigan — where the surveyor’s grid was laid down upon the marshy prairie, a river’s current audaciously reversed, and lakefront parkland perched atop thousands of tons of landfill.
The intersections of the made and the natural can be apprehended in such settings . . . if one observes carefully, knows where to look, and possesses a spirit of exploration. The dramatic roofscapes by Brad Temkin in Rooftop: Second Nature are striking visual compositions that reveal the city from a different and unfamiliar angle, as well as information-rich object lessons in how green infrastructure enhances urban sustainability.
More broadly, though, this exhibit speaks to the vital role played by the environmental arts and humanities in envisioning a more sustainable future for humanity as well as for the millions of fellow species on our beautiful yet vulnerable planet. Thought-provoking ideas, artwork, architecture, poetry, stories, historical accounts, theater, music, and film are necessary complements to painstaking ecological analysis and pragmatic environmental policy.
Why? Because ideas and vision matter. Compelling narratives, whether literary or visual, can animate science, challenge our use of technology, inspire policy, and change hearts and minds. Such narratives must guide our thinking to ensure that social equity and environmental justice are not trampled in the relentless pursuit of short-term profits from, say, building oil pipelines across sources of drinking water in the Great Plains; or dumping the “overburden” of mountaintops into the creeks and rivers of Appalachian coal country; or selling more Pepsi or iPhones.
Skeptics of climate change cannot be persuaded by scientific data and evidence-based policy alone — certainly not when science itself is under unprecedented attack in our society; not when environmental laws are in imminent danger of being dismantled; not when the very status of an observed and documented fact is undermined by the brazen contempt for reason and unsettling embrace of doublespeak that now constitutes the discourse of the new administration.
In such fraught and perilous times, a sustainable future can only be achieved, let alone properly envisioned, with the full participation and engagement of the environmental arts and humanities.
By showing us the “second nature” of the urban landscape in these images of green rooftops, Brad Temkin’s art not only delights and inspires with unexpected manifestations of beauty, but also implicitly challenges us to consider what “first nature” is, and what sort of relationship we want with it — one which in we are conquerors . . . or stewards.
This is a slightly edited version of a short speech I gave at the opening reception for Rooftop: Second Nature on 9 Feb 2017 at Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery, 18 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL. The Gallery is open 9am-5pm weekdays and 10am-4pm Saturdays.
We’re Composting Food Waste Here on AUD 8th Floor @RU
All I Want for the Holidays is a MAP Grant
To the Roosevelt University Community: please help pressure our Illinois legislators to fund MAP grants for our students!
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the Winter Brunch, please stop by and sign the “All I Want for the Holidays is a MAP Grant” banner. Take a selfie and post to social media with #MAPMatters. We will share images of this signed banner with our state representatives and senators.
Thank you for your advocacy efforts!
For more information, contact Jennifer Tani, Assistant Vice President, Community Engagement (jtani@roosevelt.edu).
Part-time Student Sustainability Position Available in RU’s Physical Resources, Chicago Campus
The RU Physical Resources Department is offering a paid student internship/work-study position for the 2016-17 academic year. This job is an outstanding professional development opportunity and involves working directly with the RU Physical Resources Team under the direction of Paul Matthews, Assistant VP for Campus Planning/Operations. The internship is based primarily at the Chicago Campus, Applications are being accepted ASAP (see details below) until the position is filled.
Duties and responsibilities include:
- Assist in implementing the newly adopted Sustainability Strategic Plan, approved in Spring 2015
- Help maintain and update of the RU Green Campus website, Green Campus Blog, and associated social media pages to provide other information which may benefit and educate the RU community about environmental sustainability
- Help manage the Chicago Campus Rooftop Garden
- Assist in maintaining contact with associations and government sponsored agencies that support the Physical Resources Environmental Sustainability Initiatives, including: Association for the Advancement for Sustainability within Higher Education (AASHE), United States Green Building Council, Second Nature, World Wildlife Federation, EPA Green Power Partnership Program, and the Illinois Governor’s Campus Sustainability Compact
- Participate in DCEO Recycling Grant Reporting; Recycling Project for AUD, Field House, and Wabash (with 50% diversion goal); and university Compost Agreement, which provides materials for Schaumburg Garden Plots
- Help prepare PowerPoint presentations on select ES topics to present to the RU Community when necessary.
- Attend RU-based meetings that deal with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership thru Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification Program for the Wabash Vertical Campus, Field House, and other major construction projects. Assist in tracking the LEED credits for certification and green building construction, and in achieving USGBC LEED Silver level for Field House.
- Work on Physical Resource plans or initiatives that center around green technologies, landscapes, hardscapes, alternate methods of transportation, and renewable energy sources.
To Indicate Interest and Get More Information: Contact Paul Matthews, Assistant VP of Operations/Planning, Department of Physical Resources, Roosevelt University, at 312-341-3600 (office) or pmatthews@roosevelt.edu (email). This position does not require federal work-study status, but may qualify as a work-study position for those with that designation. See the Career Resources page on RU’s website to apply.
Roosevelt University’s “American Dream Reconsidered” Conference Planned for Sept. 12-15
Students, colleagues, and friends — please attend and participate in this major conference at Roosevelt next month, which should be a galvanizing week on our campus. The theme couldn’t be more timely, considering the tensions, rancor, and controversies of the current election season. In particular, I’m looking forward to speaking on a faculty panel addressing the presidential election (Wed 9/14, 4:15pm) and participating in Service Day on 9/15. The following text is from Roosevelt’s official announcement of the conference. Be sure to register soon!
What does the American Dream mean today? That’s the topic of a major conference Roosevelt University will be hosting Sept. 12-15 in Chicago.
At more than a dozen lectures and discussions, leading American scholars, activists and entrepreneurs will analyze the American Dream and how it affects millennials, education, health care, real estate, immigration, politics and more.
“The American Dream is about every individual who aspires to achieve more in life,” said Ali Malekzadeh, president of Roosevelt University and a native of Iran. “Understanding our national ethos of democracy and equality has never more urgent. At the American Dream Reconsidered Conference, we will present many viewpoints on what it means to be an American in these challenging times.”
The conference, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, McDonald’s Corporation and other organizations, also celebrates Malekzadeh’s first year in office. It is being held in lieu of formal and expensive presidential installation ceremonies commonly held on university campuses. Instead, President Malekzadeh has led an effort to discuss the future of the American Dream and initiate a new scholarship program for six outstanding Roosevelt students. Among the highlights of the first annual American Dream Reconsidered Conference are:
• A conversation with PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel on “The American Dream — Globalization, Technology and Progress.” (Sept. 13, 12:30-1:45 p.m.)
• A lecture by Pedro Noguera, distinguished professor of Education at UCLA, on “The Five Principles of Courageous Leadership to Guide Achievement of Every Student.” (Sept. 12 , 6:00-7:30 p.m., Roosevelt’s Goodman Center)
• A panel discussion on “The Current State of the American Dream” featuring John W. Rogers Jr., founder and CEO of Ariel Investments; Melissa Bean, Midwest chair of JP Morgan Chase and former member of the U.S. Congress; Rabbi Abie Ingber, executive director of the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement at Xavier University and Ali Malekzadeh, Roosevelt president. (Sept. 14, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.)
• “A Conversation on Justice, Race and the American Dream” with Martha C. Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund distinguished service professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago and Jelani Cobb, professor of journalism at Columbia University and staff writer at the New Yorker magazine. (3:30 to 5 p.m., Sept. 13)
• “A Conversation on Community Leadership and Social Justice,” moderated by Samuel Betances, and including Tom Burrell, founder of Burrell Communications; Gloria Castillo, president and CEO of Chicago United; Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina’s Church; Dana Suskind, University of Chicago Medicine and founder of the Thirty Million Words Initiative and Omar Yamini, activist and author. (Sept. 12, 1:30 to 3 p.m.)
Other panel discussions during the week focus on: immigration (Sept. 14, 2 to 3:15); the Affordable Care Act (Sept. 13, 9:30 to 11 a.m.); the 2016 presidential election (Sept. 14, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m.); real estate (Sept. 13, 9:30 to 11 a.m.); and corporate America (Sept. 14, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m.). There is also a film on millennials created by undergraduate students.
On the last day of the conference, Thursday, Sept. 15, Roosevelt will award BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois American Dream Scholarships to outstanding Roosevelt students. The University community will also participate in the American Dream Service Day, when students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University will volunteer at 30 nonprofit organizations throughout the Chicago area.
Roosevelt University, home of the American Dream Reconsidered Conference, was founded in 1945 to protest discriminatory racial and religious college admission quotas, and remains dedicated to providing access to higher education for all qualified students.
“Education is the key to achieving the American Dream,” President Malekzadeh said. “That’s why Roosevelt is hosting this conference.”
The American Dream Reconsidered Conference is free and open to the public, however reservations are requested. For more details and to register, visit: www.Roosevelt.edu/americandream. The conference will be centered at Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, with additional events at RU’s campus in Schaumburg, IL.
SUST Program Student Associate Position Available for 2016-17
For the first time, the SUST Program at RU has a student associate (work-study) position available for the 2016-17 academic year, starting 29 Aug 2016 and ending 8 May 2017. This position is for 12 hours/week at the Chicago Campus and earns $10.50/hour. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in 6 credit hours (F16) and graduate student 3 credit hours to be eligible. The position is open to all RU students, but SUST majors will receive priority consideration.
Position Description
This student associate position for the Sustainability Studies Program within the College of Arts & Sciences reports directly to Dr. Mike Bryson, SUST professor and director. Primary duties include but are not limited to:
- outreach to current students and alumni on behalf of the SUST program
- social media research, writing, and editing (SUST at RU blog, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn)
- contribution to campus sustainability projects in coordination with the RUSLab, Operations & Planning within the Department of Physical Resources, and the RU Green student organization
- event planning and coordination, including the SUST Student Symposium in fall and spring, and Earth Month campus activities in April 2017
- completion of other tasks to advance RU’s Strategic Sustainability Plan and support the SUST Program’s mission
The student associate will acquire and polish multiple professional skills as well as gain valuable experience in sustainability education, outreach, planning, communication, and collaboration. Applicants will be assessed according to their academic record, relevant work experience, writing/communication skills, and ability to work both independently as well as collaboratively. Office space provided in AUD 829, with additional access to the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab in AUD 526. Hours are flexible and can be negotiated with the SUST director.
To Apply
Go to the Student Employment at Roosevelt webpage and click on Career Central. Follow the instructions to register as a student user if you have not already done so. Search for the position by typing in SUST in the search box, then follow the instructions for submitting your application. In addition to filling out the online application form, three supporting documents are required:
- a cover letter expressing your interest in and qualifications for the position
- a résumé summarizing your education and employment history, as well as your relevant skills/experience
- a writing sample that exemplifies your writing at its best (this can be something new or a paper you wrote for an RU class)
Application Deadline: applications will be reviewed starting immediately and continue through 24 August 2016. Position begins on 29 August or soon thereafter. All applications must come through the RU Student Employment website linked above.
Questions? Email Prof. Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) to discuss your interest in the position or to ask any questions about the application process.
Five Faculty Named First-Year Fellows at Roosevelt
I’m honored to be part of the First-Year Faculty Fellows team at Roosevelt University, where I just finished my 20th year of teaching. Looking forward to working with these and other great colleagues on our ACP curricular efforts!
Linda Jones, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at RU, announced the first class of First-Year Faculty Fellows to the university community in today’s broadcast email:
- Michael Bryson, professor of Sustainability Studies, who will teach his Our Sustainable Future section of ACP 101 that was first offered last fall.
- Anne-Marie Cusac, associate professor of Journalism, who taught ACP 101 First-Year Seminar for the first time in its initial offering in 2011.
- Sandra Frink, associate professor of History, who will teach a new First-Year Seminar section entitled Chicago: Past & Present.
- Elizabeth Meadows, associate professor of Elementary Education/Reading, who will teach a new First-Year Seminar section entitled Becoming a Teacher.
- Kelly Wentz-Hunter, associate professor of Biology, who will teach her 21st Century Health Care section of ACP 101 that was first offered in 2014.
Each of the five fellows has committed to teaching at least one of the 100-level Academic Communities of Practice classes (First-Year Seminar and Primary Texts) in each fall and spring term of 2016-17 and 2017-18. Even more important to the futures of the two courses, they will act as core faculty for ACP classes, evaluating, reviewing and advising on their content and revision. They also will be central to pedagogy workshops, orientation and skill-building sessions for faculty teaching freshmen.
Linda Jones, Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Address replies to: ljones@roosevelt.edu