Category: Education

Earth Month 2022 Activities & Events @RooseveltU

This April is #RUEarthMonth2022, and there are lots of ways to go green at Roosevelt as part of our university sustainability efforts, whether you’re on or off campus — from attending talks and webinars by invited speakers to hearing presentations by current students to joining in the student org RU Green’s activities to performing acts of community service.

Throughout April — Student Survey on Sustainability: If you’re a current RU student, please take a few minutes to complete this survey on campus sustainability issues. The survey is part of a student team project on sustainability leadership in this spring’s SUST 250 Sustainable University course. Thank you for your participation and input!

Wed 4/13 5:30-6:30pm — RU Green Information Forum on Pipelines: Join students in RU Green in learning about pipelines infringing on Indigenous lands and rights, as well as some other issues of environmental racism. RSVP and event details here.

Mon 4/18 thru Fri 4/22 — Spring 2022 Roosevelt Student Research and Inquiry Symposium: a week-long virtual event featuring a mix of live sessions, poster presentations and pre-recorded oral & performance studies presentations on a wide range of topics. Student presentations will be posted on the site during RSRIS week. Register for sessions ahead of time (not required) to receive a link to add the event to your calendar. Check the schedule here.

Tues 4/19 11am-12:15pm — SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Presentations: Join the students of SUST 250 The Sustainable University as two teams present their projects on the dining center and student orientation, with time for Q&A from the audience. Attend live in WB 616 or by Zoom. Details here.

Tues 4/19 5:00pm — RU Green Beach Cleanup: Help clean up trash on the beach and celebrate the Earth by getting out and enjoying the lakefront with students of RU Green. Let off some steam by throwing seed bombs throughout the city where the ground could use a bit of love. Bring your UPass and meet in the WB Lobby, after which we will take the 29 bus to Ohio Street Beach. Email RU Green for more info.

Wed 4/20 2:00pm — Environmentalism in Illinois: RU Green hosts special guest speaker Iyana Simba from the Illinois Environmental Council for a special presentation environmental justice in Illinois and Chicago. Iyana Simba is the City Programs Director at the Illinois Environmental Council; an advocate and organizer around environmental justice issues, especially clean water access; and a member of Environmentalists of Color Network and the Chicago Urban League’s Metropolitan Board. Event will be live at RU in AUD Ida B. Wells Lounge and streaming on Zoom. Event info here; zoom link also can be found at https://linktr.ee/rugreen.

Thur 4/21 11am-12:15pm — SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Presentations: Join the students of SUST 250 The Sustainable University as three teams present their projects on athletics, sustainability leadership, and waste, with time for Q&A from the audience. Attend live in WB 616 or by Zoom. Details here.

Fri 4/22 2:30pm — Music in the Park: Unwind before finals by getting outdoors and listening to nature-themed orchestral music performed by Chicago Center of Performing Arts (CCPA) students. This event will be an immersive art and nature experience taking place around Maggie Daley Park. If weather is bad, this event will be held at the Maggie Daley Play Gardens located at 337 E. Randolph St. Sponsored by RU Green and the Center for Arts Leadership. Email RU Green for more info.

Fri 4/22 — Earth Day Service Opportunities & Events throughout Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and other organizations. Check out the many events listed here by C3 as well as these by the Cook County Forest Preserves. 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!

​Sat 4/23 10am-5pm — Earth Day Climate Summit: Hosted by the Sunrise Movement at Benito Juarez Community Academy (1450 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60608). “Be in community with other young folks ready to bring change to our City and beyond! In Chicago, we have an opportunity to set a precedent for how cities should be led, and set a future for all Chicagoans to thrive. In order to achieve this, we need to work collaboratively with groups, coalitions and organizations across the City that are making intersecting demands for Environmental, Social, Economic and Racial Justice, to help guide a new batch of energized youth, 14-35 years old!” Event info and registration at linktr.ee/rugreen or bit.ly/earthday-summit. Email RU Green for more info.

Mon 4/25 12-2pm — Rooftop Garden Cleanup: Come to the rooftop garden on the 5th floor of the Wabash building (in the back of the fitness center) and help prepare the garden for the growing season! Make sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Email RU Green for more info.

Tue 4/26 9:30am-12:15pm — Bubbly Creek Cleanup: Join students in Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 250 Sustainable University class @RooseveltU on a community service field trip to Canal Origins Park on Chicago’s Near Southwest Side. We’ll continue our yearly tradition of picking up litter along the riverbanks of Bubbly Creek where it meets the South Branch of the Chicago River. Enjoy great views of the Chicago skyline, fresh air, and a gratifying sense of fun and companionship as we work together to clean up our adopted city park! Event info here.

Tue 4/26 4-5pm — RSC Webinar on Prison Justice and Sustainability: Join this informative webinar sponsored by the Resilience Studies Consortium on the relationship between sustainability and prison justice. Features speakers from the Sustainability in Prisons Project, the University of Puget Sound’s Freedom Education Project, the Evergreen State College’s Gateways for Incarcerated Youth, and Evergreen State College’s Justice Involved Student Group. Organized by the Resilience Studies Consortium, Evergreen State College, and Roosevelt University. Event info here.

Wed 4/27 11am-12pm — Resilience in Times of War in Europe: Join this informative webinar sponsored by the Resilience Studies Consortium on the crisis in Ukraine and its relation to the country’s present resilience and future sustainable development. Speaker Andrii Holovko is a professor of management and marketing at the Ukrainian National Forestry University, and a longtime colleague of our RSC member institution in Germany, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. Zoom info TBA.

Wed 4/27 5pm — Trivia Night Fundraiser: Come to AUD Ida B. Wells Lounge and compete with your peers for a chance to win sustainability themed prizes by correctly answering questions about environmental justice in a fun trivia night event! Get a team of 5 or less together and register for the event beforehand by going to https://linktr.ee/rugreen and clicking on “Trivia Night Registration.” We will also be collecting donations for Indigenous Environmental Network; please consider donating if you can. Event info here.

Fri 4/27 1-3pm — Schaumburg Bioblitz: As part of the City Nature Challenge 2022, we are hosting a bioblitz. Let’s find all the species we can on Roosevelt University’s Schaumburg campus. All Roosevelt community members are invited to take part. Make an iNaturalist account to upload observations. Meet at the volleyball court (north side of parking lot). Open to members of the Roosevelt University community: students, staff, faculty, alumni. Contact edangremond@roosevelt.edu with questions. More info on the City Nature Challenge here: https://www.chicagowilderness.org/page/citynaturechallenge (you can participate on your own too!). Event info here.

Elevate Your Education this 2022 Summer in SUST 390 Rooftop Garden @RooseveltU

This coming summer semester (2022) the Sustainability Studies program will reprise our popular and innovative special topics course, SUST 390 Rooftop Garden, at the Chicago Campus. The class will utilize RU’s unique 5th-story rooftop garden on its LEED Gold-certified Wabash Building as a living classroom for a hands-on, place-based, get-your-hands-dirty learning experience.

  • Title/number: SUST 390 Rooftop Garden (section 10)
  • Semester offered: Summer 2022 (10 weeks from May 31 thru Aug 8)
  • Location: Chicago Campus
  • Day/time: Online learning commences 5/31, with garden workdays and field trips to selected urban farms/green rooftops in the Chicago region scheduled by the instructor according to students’ availability.
  • Pre-req: ENG 102

SUST majors and minors may take this class to fulfill an upper-level SUST 3xx requirement, but 390 also is open to students at large seeking an experiential learning course, needing a general education course, or desiring elective credit.

RU President Ali, staff, and students harvest greens from the WB Rooftop Garden during the #AmDreamConf service day, 15 Sept 2016 (photo: RU Media)

Course Theme: Rooftop Gardens, Campus Sustainability, and Urban Agriculture

Diana Ramirez (BA ’17) works the garden plots on the WB Rooftop Garden, July 2017 (photo: M. Viveros)

Gets your hands dirty in this ten-week hybrid course which focuses on the unique urban ecosystem, the green rooftop, and features work in and stewardship of the fifth-story Roosevelt University WB Rooftop Garden in downtown Chicago. Students will learn about the relationships among food, biodiversity, waste, urban agriculture, green space design, and campus sustainability leadership through multiple modes: reading, participating in online discussions, taking field trips, and working in the RU garden during the summer late spring / early summer planting and growing season.

Course requirements and activities include online interaction through Blackboard; participation in garden workdays as scheduled by the student and instructor; and field trips to other urban community gardens and farms, whether rooftop or street-level. Participation in this course constitutes a significant contribution to the sustainability of RU’s Chicago Campus, and helps our community make progress on our 2015-2020 Strategic Sustainability Plan.

Moses Viveros sowing seeds in the rooftop garden, August 2017 (photo: D. Ramirez)

The RU Rooftop Garden in Chicago was started in the spring/summer of 2013, the first growing season after the opening on the Wabash Building in fall 2012. Since then, it has been funded and managed by the Department of Physical Resources, with work being done primarily by student interns and volunteers from the Sustainability Studies Program in the College of Arts & Sciences.

For questions and more details about this course, please contact Vicki Gerberich (vgerberich@roosevelt.edu), adjunct professor of Sustainability Studies; or Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies.

Maria Cancilla (BPS ’18), Prof. Vicki Gerberich, and Michelle Giles (SUST senior) during #AmDreamServiceDay 2018 (photo: M. Bryson)

Apply for the Mansfield’s 2022 Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (thru 3/2/22)

The Mansfield Institute Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (FACE) will fund a second cohort of 15 Roosevelt University undergraduate students from any college or discipline. The cohort-based summer fellowship includes funding for a 3-credit Social Justice in Action internship-based course in May 2022. In addition to tuition, fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500.

Following their course work in late May, Fellows will work in a social justice–focused community-based organization in Chicago for 10 hours per week, for 10 weeks over the summer starting in early June. Fellows will have an opportunity to work with past Fellows, attend University events together, and have opportunities to present work at conferences.

Eligibility:

  • Open to all Roosevelt University undergraduate students in any college or major
  • Students must have between 45 and 72 credit hours completed on March 2, 2022
  • GPA of at least a 2.0
  • Be able to participate fully in fellowship activities including course work, internship work, and ongoing cohort activities throughout the year

Deadlines:

  • The application process opens on February 1 and closes on March 2, 2022.
  • Applicants will be notified by March 16, 2022.

To apply, visit the Mansfield Institute Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (FACE) webpage. For questions or more information, please contact Prof. Heather Dalmage (hdalmage@roosevelt.edu), Director of the Mansfield Institute.

Mansfield Institute Kickoff Event on 2/1: Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement

Join Roosevelt’s Mansfield Institute on 2/1/22 to recognize our current Fellows for Activism and Community Engagement and community partners. Attendees will hear about the program experience of current fellows, learn about the 2022 program, and meet our community partners. Register here! All Roosevelt students from any college or major with at least 45 credits are eligible to apply for the fellowship program. The selected 2022 fellows will take part in the Social Justice in Action internship-based course, a three-day seminar, and work with a social justice-focused, community-based organization for which they will receive a summer stipend. For more information, contact Prof. Heather Dalmage, Director of the Mansfield Institute (hdalmage@roosevelt.edu).

Environmental Sustainability Committee Meets on 12/13 @4:30pm

RU’s Environmental Sustainability Committee will convene virtually on Monday 12/13 from 4:30-6pm for an open discussion of campus sustainability projects, issues, concerns, and goals. We will get an update on a recent student sustainability forum held on 11/29, share information with each other from across departments, and identify potential projects and initiatives for the Spring 2022 semester.

The ESC is an open committee that welcomes participation across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni. Of special focus this year is the updating of our 2015-20 Strategic Sustainability Plan. We also are pleased to report 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 online resources.

Hope to see you there on 12/13! If you cannot attend, please take a moment to email any ideas, questions, and/or suggestions to the ESC (see contact info below).

Zoom info: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/94378920390

RSVP / questions / suggestions to Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), Dept. of Sociology & Sustainability, CAS

Apply Now for SUST Work-Study Opportunities for 2021-22

The Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU is hiring up to three undergraduate students to work as Sustainability Student Associates for the Fall 2021 semester. Information and application instructions for this part-time position can be found on Student Employment website: to apply, just login to the Handshake job posting system and upload your letter of interest, résumé, and writing sample.

The application deadline as been extended to Friday 10/08/21 and interviews will be conducted the following week via Zoom. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. A cover letter, updated résumé, and writing sample (which can be paper written for an RU class) are required for the application. Note your FWS eligibility status in your cover letter.

Applicants should explain their interest in advancing campus sustainability as well as highlight their prior knowledge about and/or skills in relevant sustainability issues and practices (e.g., recycling, gardening, event planning, data analysis, student outreach, etc.)

Desired Majors: Sustainability Studies, Sociology, or Biology preferred; however, all majors will be considered.

Required Skills/Knowledge: Knowledge of and interest in sustainability; strong writing/editing skills; effective communication skills; dependability and strong work ethic.

Scope of Duties: This $15/hour FWS student position will work at the Chicago Campus as well as remotely to support the mission, pedagogy, and service work of the SUST Program at Roosevelt by the following (other duties as assigned):

  • developing & supporting campus sustainability projects in consultation with the program director, department faculty, operations and planning staff, and the RU Green student organization;
  • providing logistical and communication support for sustainability-related activities, events, and projects, both on- and off-campus;
  • supporting student experiential learning, recruitment, retention, & career development efforts;
  • coordinating & promoting departmental events & campus outreach (e.g., Campus Sustainability Month [October], SUST Symposia, & Earth Month);
  • performing current student and alumni outreach;
  • serving as the primary student liaison between the SUST Program and the university community in the advancement of RU’s 2015-2020 Strategic Sustainability Plan;
  • managing the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab (RUSLab) & WB Rooftop Garden

Student Associates will work closely with the SUST Program Director, Prof. Mike Bryson, and utilize the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab at the Chicago Campus as their home base. Funding for the position is provided by federal work-study funds.

Please email Prof. Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) for questions about the position or application process.

Fall 2021 Return to Campus

With Illinois and the City of Chicago recently entering Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan, Roosevelt is excited and optimistic that the plans for more in-person operations this fall will be realized. In accordance with public health guidelines, changes will be coming to our facilities in preparation for safe and efficient return to campus. Below is information and resources to this effect, as copied from the Roosevelt Covid-19 website. These guidelines/requirements will be updated as new information becomes available.

Updated Mask Protocol

Per CDC criteria, Chicago and Schaumburg areas have moved into “substantial transmission” status. Beginning Monday, August 2, masks will be required for all individuals while on campus. The only exceptions are when eating in spaces designated for eating (the dining center and Fainman Lounge), when alone in your office or when in your residence hall room. Read more about mask guidance while on campus. The COVID-19 Response Team continues to monitor the state of public health and will provide updates to the community as needed.

Capacity Limits

Effective Tuesday, July 6, in accordance with Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan, capacity limits are lifted for all campus spaces. Please note, work is beginning to remove or adapt signage and furniture around campus to reflect these changes. We appreciate your understanding and patience. If you have any questions about a particular space on campus, please ask Physical Resources.

Visiting Campus

Roosevelt is committed to a safe and responsible return to on-campus operations this fall. Please use the following guide to help plan your return to campus.

Step 1: Submit Your Vaccination Documentation

Students and University employees planning to return to campus must submit vaccination documentation or have an approved exemption at least 48 hours prior to visiting campus. Read more about the Roosevelt vaccination requirement.

Students submit their documentations here: roosevelt.edu/vaccine-student

Faculty and staff submit their documentation here: roosevelt.edu/vaccine-employee

Step 2: Fill Out Your Daily Self-Assessment

Students and University employees who have uploaded proof of vaccination or an approved exemption will continue to fill out the daily self-assessment form. A digital “sticker” indicating they are cleared to be on campus will appear on the same screen as the green check mark after a successful daily self-assessment. It may take up to 24 hours your sticker to appear after your proof of vaccination is uploaded. 

Students, faculty and staff don’t forget to download the mobile app (iOS or Android) to make your campus entry more efficient.

Step 3: Show Your Verification to Campus Safety

Show campus safety your verification via the RU app or the self-assessment kiosks at campus entrances. 

Guests and University Contractors

Residential guests will be required to register with the Dean of Students prior to their visit, at which time they will have to submit proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test within three days of their visit. They will complete the guest daily self-assessment form and be logged in Campus Safety’s badging system upon arrival on campus. 

Employees of regular University contractors (custodial staff, cafeteria workers, etc.) and members of rental partner communities will follow their respective rules on vaccinations/testing. Those individuals will continue to fill out the guest daily self-assessment form. All will need to have RU IDs. Individuals identified by the contractor/partner as compliant with their rules at the beginning of the semester will be issued a physical sticker to be added to their ID, indicating they are cleared to be on campus.

All other visitors to campus will complete the guest daily self-assessment form. They will also be logged in Campus Safety’s badging system upon arrival on campus. 

Pathways to Grad School: SUST Alumni Share Experiences & Advice

As part of our Earth Month 2021 program of virtual sustainability events this past spring semester, five distinguished alumni of Roosevelt’s Sustainability Studies (SUST) program met via Zoom on Thursday, April 29th, to talk about their recent grad school experiences. Our panelists recounted their process of researching, selecting, and applying to a graduate program; what their time in graduate school has been like; and how their RU education prepared them for graduate study.

Alumni Panelists:

  • Yessenia Balcazar (BA ’18), MA ’21 at University of IL Chicago (Urban Planning)
  • Wilmarie Medina-Cortes (BA ’19), MA student at University of IL Chicago (Museum Studies)
  • Lindsey Sharp (BA ’16), MA student at Wayne State University (Anthropology)
  • Moses Viveros (BA ’17), MA and MBA (’20) graduate from Chatham University (Food Studies and Business Administration)
  • Charlton Zimmerman (BA ’19), MPA student at University of Delaware (Public Administration)

Moderator: Dr. Mike Bryson, Professor and Director of Sustainability Studies, Roosevelt University’s College of Arts & Sciences

Link to Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/z1fOIjj20dQ

Since its founding in 2010 as the Chicago area’s first sustainability-focused bachelor’s degree, the SUST program’s more than 100 alumni have pursued a wide variety of career and graduate education pathways, community and environmental service projects, and creative endeavors. Other SUST alumni who have gone on to graduate school include:

  • Margaret Allen (BA ’19, newly accepted to MS program in Environmental Sustainability @ Loyola University Chicago
  • Josh Campbell (BA ’13), Tom Lewallen (BA ’15), Akilah Mitchell (BA ’16), UIC Urban Planning MA program
  • Mike Magdongon (BPS ’13), MBA @ Erasmus University (Netherlands)
  • Ben Shulman (BPS ’12), UIC Communications MA

SUST alumni are currently enployed in a wide variety of fields:

  • Margaret Allen (BA ’19), Industrial Hygiene Technician at Environmental Design International
  • Zarakyah Ahmadiel aka Troy Withers (BPS ’13), Restorative Practices Coordinator for Blocks Together / Cameron Elementary School
  • Yessenia Balcazar (BA ’18), Bryant Williams Intern at Southeast Environmental Task Force; Transportation Intern at Chicago Aviation Authority
  • Christian Cameron (BA’14), Urban Forester & Youth Educator
  • Maria Cancilla (BPS ’18), Horticulture Intern @ Shedd Aquarium; Garden Educator @ Gardeneers / Americorps
  • Karen Craig (BA ’15), Manager of Retail & Visitor Experience at Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
  • Stephanie Eisner (BA ’13), Program Manager & Philanthropic Advisor at Caerus Foundation
  • Brittany Janney (BA ’18), Environmental Technician with Davey Resource Group
  • Reece Krishnan (BA ’16), Energy Specialist at Franklin Energy Services
  • Tiffany Mucci-Heitman (BPS ’16), Freelance Writer, Massage Therapist and Holistic Health Pro
  • Jessie Crow Mermel (BPS ’12), Marketing & Development Assistant at Severson Dells Nature Center; On-farm Educator at Angelic Organics Learning Center
  • Rebecca Quesnell (BA ’15), Sustainability Coordinator @ RU; Sustainability Director @ Independent Recycling Services
  • MaryBeth Radeck, Entrepreneur & Sustainability Consultant, Director of Project Operations @ +Intention, Owner of Caring Transitions
  • Diana Ramirez (BA ’17), Chicago Program Coordinator at Student Conservation Association
  • Emily Rhea (BA ’16), Project Manager & Energy Analyst @ Eco-Achievers
  • Cheryl Roberts (BPS ’14), Energy Manager @ GE
  • Ben Shulman (BPS ’12), Director of Publishing @IIT Architecture, Blogger, Editor
  • MeLissa Tate (BA ’18), Corporate Sustainability Specialist @ Ferrara Candy Company
  • Ron Taylor (BPS ’12), Director of Parks & Energy @ City of Harrisburg
  • Jesse Williams (BA ’15), Director of Sustainability @ Rust Belt Riders