2011-12

In Fall 2011, we welcomed two ZipCars to the campus. Aside from the practicality of this system the ZipCars can help raise awareness of alternative transportation, energy conservation, and environmental sustainability at Iona.

Environment-related Events

On Thursday, September 14, 2011 New Rochelle Sustainability Director Deborah Newborn was the guest speaker for Constitution Day at Iona. She discussed how Iona students and faculty could help implement initiatives of the city's "GreeNR" Sustainability plan. In the spring of 2012, a team of Prof. Rudell's Green Marketing students worked on a recycling promotion campaign for the city.

The Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue at Iona sponsored several events during 2011-12, including: the Westchester Premier of "The Journey of the Universe" (September 21), presented by co-producer of the film, Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker of Yale University; discussions of The Great Work" with Doug DeMeo (November 9) and Father Joe Mitchell (Feb. 8); "Ground for Hope - Westchester: Mobilizing Interfaith Action for the Earth" workshops (March 11); and a screening of "TAKING ROOT," which tells the story of the Green Belt Movement of Kenya and its founder WangariMaathai, the first environmentalist and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (March 21).

Greening the Curriculum

A new interdisciplinary Environmental Studies major, developed to complement the work of the Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue, is starting in the fall of 2012. The central focus is the living Earth: the story of its cosmic origin, evolutionary history, creative bio-diversity, and the critical role of the human species for its maturation, care and protection. The major draws from the disciplines of Biology, Political Science, and Religious Studies to engage students in a coherent and empowering environmental world-view, and is designed for students who are interested in obtaining careers in the growing environmental field as advocates, educators, policy makers, lawyers, etc. The major will have three different tracks: the Politics and Policy Track, the Religious Studies Track, and the Sustainability though Science Track. For information, contact Dr. Tricia Mulligan, Politics/Policy (tmulligan@iona.edu), Dr. Elena Procario-Foley, Religious Studies (eprocariofoley@iona.edu), or Dr. Yourha Kang, Science (ykang@iona.edu).

Read more on the Environmental Studies Department webpage »

Student Activities

An exciting variety of environment-related activities, from cleanups and plantings to the annual "Lights Out" party, are organized and promoted by the IC Green environmental club throughout the school year. And this year, the Student Government Association (SGA) established a Green Initiatives Committee. On April 13, 2012 five members of IC Green attended the annual Student Summit sponsored by the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities.

The theme of the conference, held at Manhattanville College, was "Your Future and the Planet's: Environmental Careers and Graduate Education."

Recycling

Students, faculty and staff continue the task of adopting a new recycling system. Single Stream Recycling instructions and an explanatory video are accessible via the links in the left-hand column on this web site, as are tips and suggestions for conserving paper by reducing use in the first place.

2010-11

Efforts to create a culture of sustainability continue. Facilities has a nifty new solar powered van.

There is new signage in classrooms reminding people to turn off lights and A/V equipment. Iona became the first college in Westchester to adopt Con Edison's Energy Saving and Rebate Program.

And in the area of green curriculum, Brian Brown and Sr. Kathleen Deignan (RST) are hosting a series of conversations for interested faculty, focusing on the essays of Thomas Berry in The Great Work.

Fredrica Rudell and Meryl Nadel attended the Environmental Consortium
Annual Meeting and Conference on October 15-16 at Rockland Community College. The theme was "Advancing Our Regional Foodshed: The Role of Higher Education." The 2010 Consortium meeting and conference brought together small-scale family farms; chefs/restaurant owners; agriculture policy experts; farm-to-table non-profits; researchers and others to foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary dialogue about our foodshed.

In November, a few Week of the Peacemaker (Advocacy: Speaking Out for Justice) events highlighted environmental issues, most notably a program on Earth Advocacy sponsored by the Berry Forum of the Iona Spirituality Institute: "Go Tell It on the Mountains." Special Guest Jaculyn Hanrahan, CND, Founder and Director of the Appalachian Center for Faith and Ecology, spoke about the troubling intersections of electrical energy use, the devastating practice of mountain-top removal, and the environmental justice issues which are the special burden of miners and residents of our coal regions who risk their lives and health to deliver our energy. The discussion was facilitated by Dr. Daniel Martin.

New Recycling System for Iona
On Thursday, March 10, Jim Albers and Keith Lebron from Waste Management presented information about the new "Single Stream Recycling" system to members of ECC, IC Green, Dining Services and the Facilities Department who gathered in Burke Lounge, Spellman Hall at noon. All agreed that an assessment of current trash and recycling bin deployment would be useful to make sure that Iona faculty, staff and students can comply with the new rules.

Here are some informational resources from Waste Management:

• An information sheet about Single Stream Recycling
• A poster of "Acceptable" vs. "Unacceptable" materials

Environmental Talks in New Rochelle
Iona College has partnered with Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library and the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District to sponsor a free series of Science & Society Dialogs for Scientists and Non-Scientists. In spring 2011, three of the "Science Cafe" conversations focused on environmental issues.

Suburban Ecosystems; Soil and Climate Change (March 8)
7:00 pm, Coromandel Restaurant 30 Divison Street, New Rochelle
Dr. William Schlesinger will discuss the fascinating activities of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and his groundbreaking work in linking environmental chemistry and global climate change. How does suburban life impact the ecosystem? What small measures can add up to big changes? These and other timely questions will spark the conversation.

Ocean Depths - Changing Tides (Apr. 12)
7:00 pm, Linda Kelly Theater New Rochelle High School
Dr. Carl Safine will share his explorations of how the ocean is changing, and what those changes mean for wildlife and for people. Looking at the scientific dimensions as well as moral and social implications of our relationship with nature, he will describe his campaigns to ban high-seas driftnets, re-write U.S. federal fisheries law, work toward international conservation of tunas, sharks, and other fishes, and achieve passage of a United Nations global fisheries treaty. Participants will also learn about the Blue Ocean Institute, which uniquely works through science, art, and literature to inspire solutions and a deeper connection with nature. A book signing of Dr. Safina's latest book, The View from Lazy Point, will follow the discussion.

The Vertical Farm (May 10)
7 PM, Rangoli, 615 Main Street
Dickson Despommier, Ph.D. In the emerging field of medical ecology, Dickson Despommier is a trailblazer, devising solutions to problems in agriculture and public health that likely will be magnified by climate change. A microbiologist, he is a Professor of Public Health at Columbia University's Mailman School, where he developed the idea of growing food in urban farm skyscrapers. He will sign copies of his new book, The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century.

2009-2010

In addition to serving on the New Rochelle Sustainability Advisory Board, Fredrica Rudell taught a "Current Issues in Marketing" course on the topic of Green Marketing this fall. The entire Iona community was invited to join the class for two of their guest speakers.

On Wednesday evening, October 14, Tammy Petrucelli, Regional Recruiting Manager for Enterprise, presented "Keys to Green: The Enterprise Sustainability Story" in the End Zone, LaPenta. She outlined Enterprise's corporate history and strategy, and described their extensive environmental platform. www.keystogreen.com/

On Wednesday evening, November 4, Dan Bena, Director of Sustainability, Health, Safety and Environment at PepsiCo, gave a talk entitled "Helping People, Planet, and Economy...It Matters" in the Thomas Burke Lounge, Spellman Hall. Mr. Bena (www.danbena.com) is helping to lead PepsiCo's international Sustainability efforts across their beverage and foods operations, serving consumers in nearly 200 countries. His presentation addressed a variety of issues, including the role of business in ensuring environmental sustainability and water as a human right. This was also a preview event for the November 2009 Week of the Peacemaker, "Economic Nightmare or Wake-up Call? Re-Imagining the American Dream."

ECC members Fredrica Rudell (Marketing) and Meryl Nadel (Social Work) represented Iona at the 6th annual meeting of the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities www.environmentalconsortium.org held at Vassar College on November 13-14, 2009. The theme of the conference was "Teaching and Learning the Hudson Valley: Building Capacity for Place-Based Education." They both participated in a Roundtable session on "Sustainability Across the Curriculum." Dr. Rudell described her experience teaching a Green Marketing course and offered tips and suggestions regarding course content, format, resources, and assignments. Dr. Nadel described a Social Work course module she has developed involving a walking tour of the downtown/riverfront area of Yonkers, which enables students to examine the relationship between people and their natural, built, and social environments.

On Sunday, May 23, Fredrica Rudell participated in a round table on New Rochelle's Sustainability plan (GreeNR). The event was sponsored by Mayor Noam Bramson and hosted by Iona. Special guest Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand responded enthusiastically to Dr. Rudell's comments regarding the role of higher education in preparing students for the green economy.

On Friday, July 9, Meryl Nadel (Social Work) led an interesting Environmental Consortium River Summer program. Her half-day of talks and tours in Yonkers were related to urban development and social entrepreneurship, and included visits to Groundworks community gardens, the Science barge, and Greyston Bakery.

2007-2008

Congratulations to ECC member Sr. Kathleen Deignan, who was selected to participate in the first GreenFaith Fellowship Program (www.greenfaith.org). In addition to that honor, Sr. Kathleen has lined up several events directly related to the environment for the Iona Spirituality Institute. The first one, DIALOGUE AND ECOLOGY with guest speaker Danny Martin, took place on Tuesday, October 16, in the End Zone, La Penta at 7:30 PM.

This promises to be a watershed year for addressing environmental issues at the national, regional and local level. Iona got the ball rolling by choosing an environmental theme for its annual Week of the Peacemaker: "SOS for Planet Earth: Calling for a Just and Sustainable World." And the connection between peace and the environment was confirmed by the selection of Al Gore and the IPCC for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize in early October!

Click here for photos from the Student Green Fair held on November 8, 2007.

The Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities (ECHVCU) is the regional coordinator for "Focus the Nation," a national campaign to collaboratively engage in a nationwide, interdisciplinary discussion about Global Warming Solutions for America, culminating in a national teach-in in January 2008. Iona hosted a planning meeting for the regional conference on Tuesday, October 16. A group of Iona faculty and staff participated in the Environmental Consortium's 5th Annual Conference "Climate Change: Science, Culture and the Regional Response" at Fordham University on January 24-25, 2008.

Iona also participated in the Focus the Nation webcast on Wednesday, January 30, in Ryan Library 308, from 8:00 - 9:00 pm:

Earth Day-related activities in April included a "Faithful Citizenship" symposium on the environment sponsored by the Iona Spirituality Institute and a visit from Eric Yaverbaum, co-founder of the "Tappening" campaign (www.tappening.com) designed to discourage consumption of bottled water.

2008-2009

We've had lots of environmental activities on campus this year, including ongoing energy and paper conservation efforts, Sr. Kathleen Deignan's graduation from the GreenFaith Fellowship program for religious-environmental leadership, continued student engagement through the award-winning IC Green Club, an inspirational performance by poet/activist Drew Dellinger (Planetize the Movement: New Possibilities for Ecological Healing and Social Justice) sponsored by the Iona Spirituality Institute in March, and further greening of the curriculum via Hagan course offerings on Sustainable Finance and Green Marketing.

Environmental activities also extend beyond the campus through Iona's alliances. Since New York is celebrating the quadricentennial of the Hudson River this year, it's an exciting time to be part of the 50-member Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities. Iona students and faculty attended the Consortium's Student Summit on Green Careers on April 3.

The Consortium is planning its 6th annual meeting and conference, "Teaching and Learning the Hudson Valley: Building Capacity for Place-Based Learning" to be hosted by Vassar College on November 13-14, 2009. Faculty and students from member colleges are invited to submit proposals for sessions. The call for contributions can be downloaded from the Consortium website.

In addition to serving on the Steering Committee of the Environmental Consortium, Fredrica Rudell was invited to join the New Rochelle Sustainability Advisory Board. New Rochelle is one of three U.S. cities chosen to work with ICLEI, an international organization for sustainable communities, to create local versions of New York City's PlaNYC.

2006-2007

On Thursday, November 2, ECC sponsored a preview of a new documentary, "Swim for the River." Iona alumna Kathleen Savolt ('73), Executive Director of the Beczak Environmental Education Center in Yonkers, who is featured in the film, joined us for a screening of selected segments and discussion of the issues.

Dr. Fredrica Rudell (Marketing) and Dr. Jerome Levkov (Chemistry) participated in the 2006 conference of the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities www.environmentalconsortium.org entitled "Greening the Campus: Exploring Practices, Curriculum, and Management in Higher Education." The conference was held November 16-17, at SUNY/Purchase. In addition to their work on the conference planning committee, each served as facilitator/moderator for a session at the conference.
Also attending the conference as part of the Iona "team" were: Richard Murray and Andrew Albrecht from Facilities Management; students Amanda Brucia, Ashley Colletti, Florybeth La Valle, and Christine McDonough; Jennifer Padilla (Advancement); and consulting engineer James Call, who presented a poster illustrating his energy conservation project at Iona.
The team will follow up by sharing ideas and information about campus greening gleaned from the conference with other members of the Iona community in the spring.
"Campus Greening Conference"

On Thursday, February 1, 2007, ECC members met with the newly formed student club "I C Green" in Cornelia 108 at noon to discuss greening initiatives

On March 22, 2007, ECC co-sponsored a special interdisciplinary symposium with the Spirituality Institute: Beyond Silent Spring: A Celebration of the Birth of Rachel Carson - Environmental Prophet.

This was followed by screening of the film "An Inconvenient Truth"--A modern day "call to action" to prevent a worsening environmental crisis--on Tuesday April 24th.

2001-2005

In Fall 2001, the Environmental Concerns Committee enrolled Iona College in the Campus Ecology Program of the National Wildlife Federation, joining a network of colleges and universities striving to be more environmentally sustainable. Member campuses must declare specific goals for a campus greening project. For 2001-2002, ECC chose to focus on reduction of paper use at Iona, primarily by raising awareness of unnecessary and accidental printing and copying and promoting a culture of conservation and waste prevention.

Working with the Information Technology Department and Ryan Library, the Environmental Concerns Committee launched a campus-wide Paper Conservation Campaign, which earned national recognition from Campus Ecology in 2002 and 2003.

During the 2003-04 academic year, the ECC created two Task Forces. The Conservation and Recycling subcommittee focused on extending and enhancing those efforts on campus. The Environmental Symposium subcommittee planned and hosted an event in April 2004 designed to bring students and faculty together to discuss environmental (specifically, energy) issues from the perspectives of their major fields. Still other members of ECC represented Iona in the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities, sponsored by the Pace Academy for the Environment.

During 2004-05, ECC members participated in Environmental Consortium (ECHVCU) conferences and activities, while trying to extend a culture of conservation at Iona, from energy efficiency to ink cartridge and cell phone recycling. The ECC Student Task Force, led by junior Phil Burkart, initiated an e-newsletter aimed at dorm residents and organized an event to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Earth Day. As part of its mission to raise environmental awareness on campus, ECC donated a tree for the new LaPenta Student Union building. The tree will be marked with a plaque and dedication.

The 2005-06 academic year saw increased national and local interest in campus greening. In December, ECC Chair Fredrica Rudell was selected to serve a 3-year term on the Environmental Consortium Steering Committee, and in January, she and Jerry Levkov attended a Campus Greening Task Force meeting at EC headquarters. In February 2006, ECC hosted a "Greenforum" on Campus Energy Conservation with engineer James Call, who explained his plans to increase energy efficiency at Iona.

Members of ECC participated, in the "Campus Climate Neutral" summit conference at Pace Law School on March 24, 2006 and are helping to plan an ECHVCU-sponsored conference on Campus Greening in fall 2006.

On Thursday, May 4, the Environmental Concerns Committee joined the Office of Mission Integration and Campus Ministries to welcome John Seed, an internationally renowned Australian rainforest activist, to Iona. His presentation, "Earth Spirit Action!" took place at noon in the Robert V. LaPenta Student Union.

See our Environmental Concerns Committee tree and plaque!