Loyola Marymount University
Tier2-6: Sustainability Events

For the inauguration of the new university president in February 2011, a full week of events were planned and both students and alumni participated in these events to show solidarity for community in which LMU resides, and its commitment to service and action. The week had several environmental events that students participated in such as the Dockweiler Beach Cleanup. Dockweiler Beach is the beach closest to campus and is frequented by students and residents. Both Leavey 4 and O’Malley Residence Halls sponsored the event where students picked up trash and recyclables from the beach. The other event students participated in was the STAR ECO Station which is an organization dedicated to wildlife preservation and environmental education. Their facility in Culver City is visited by various elementary and middle school students from around the city. The volunteer students learn about the natural habitat of the various animals kept in the facility, as well being docents during school trips.
There was an environmental symposium, The Sustainable City, held on campus on April 14 -15, 2011. The keynote speaker was Majora Carter, Environmental Justice Activist and MacArthur Fellow. The event was attended by faculty, staff, students, local government leaders, and scientists. Topics discussed ranged from environmental justice and urban ecology to environmental studies. Majora talked of the disproportionate environmental and public health concerns facing individuals living in disadvantaged areas much like the South Bronx. There was a screening of the documentary, The Garden, as well as several panels regarding environmental policy and law, human rights, and global justice.

In November 2011, LMU hosted Vandana Shiva to receive the Doshi Bridgebuilder Award. Vandana Shiva is a leading voice in the worldwide movement to promote biodiversity in agriculture and preserve the integrity of food resources. Vandana Shiva had a daylong visit where she gave a lecture to faculty, staff, and students in the evening and had a smaller lunch discussion with student leaders. A sustainability week was hosted around her visit where students participated in the Green LMU Festival learning from different outreach booths about LMU’s own green efforts during a lunch hour; additionally, students held a Student Sustainability Symposium presenting projects that students had done in two classes regarding community gardens.

http://www.lmu.edu/lmunews/doshi2011.htm
http://www.lmu.edu/resources/inauguration/serviceweek.htm
http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/sustainablecity/Program.htm
http://www.lmu.edu/sites/Community_home/green/ed/academics.htm