La Sierra University launches public lectures focused on sustainability

The Sustainability Speaker Series, offered through a fledgling Sustainability Studies Program and by the office of La Sierra University Provost April Summitt will hold a first lecture on Monday, April 8 at Troesh Conference Center in the Zapara School of Business. The inaugural presentation will feature Joni Adamson, preeminent scholar and in-demand international speaker who holds the position of President’s Professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University and is its director of the Environmental Humanities Initiative.

Adamson will give a talk titled “Why the Humanities, Creativity, & Imagination Will Be Key to Achieving Sustainability Goals for 2050.” She will discuss how students from all disciplines, including those in STEM, art, business and the humanities can apply their talents and expertise to contribute to the sustainability field.

A reception will be held at 5 p.m. before the free-admission lecture which begins at 6 p.m. Registration available at the links above and below.

Summitt has been a driving force behind the sustainability effort at La Sierra. Her interests in environmental and sustainability issues is connected with her interdisciplinary research on water rights histories and is also informed by her past experiences as a faculty member at Arizona State University where she was involved in the development of the nation’s first School of Sustainability in 2006. During this time Summitt taught environmental history and worked as a colleague with Adamson on the university’s environmental humanities project.

“Our dedication to the good stewardship of our natural resources is part of our commitment and ethos as a faith-based institution." -- Dr. April Summitt, Provost, La Sierra University

“Adding sustainability studies to our curricular offerings at La Sierra University is vital because of the increasing importance of this field in all employment areas,” noted Summitt. “Our dedication to the good stewardship of our natural resources is also part of our commitment and ethos as a faith-focused Seventh-day Adventist Christian institution.”

La Sierra’s Sustainability Studies Program of which the speakers series is a part is rolling out three related degrees in sustainability designed to correlate with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The U.N. defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Its sustainability objectives focus on environmental justice, critical thinking skills, and sustainable solutions for local and global communities.

The three degrees under development are a Bachelor of Arts in sustainability and society which will offer first classes this school year, followed by bachelor’s degrees in urban plant agriculture and sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship. Program goals for the new degrees include “creating graduates who are prepared to solve real-world problems in the industries of agriculture, food science, global studies, agricultural entrepreneurship, and sustainability science,” an academic bulletin description states.

The creation of the sustainability programs is supported by a $3 million Title V grant received last fall from the U.S. Department of Education. As a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, La Sierra has applied for and received four competitive Title V grants since 2016 for a total $11.6 million which has been used to create educational pathways in STEM subjects and support services toward helping students achieve success in college.

The idea for a lecture series in the arena of sustainability was sparked when La Sierra program leaders attended an international sustainability conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia in January 2023. The event featured world-renowned speakers who inspired audiences with new, global perspectives on sustainability. “We felt it was essential to get these voices to our area to share a hopeful message about sustainability and to hear from experts about what it is going to take to reach our U.N. sustainable development goals,” said La Sierra University Sustainability Studies Program Director of Outreach Tabetha Johnson.

The programming actions are in concert with industry trends. An assessment prepared by Hanover Research shows a trend in demand for continued programs in sustainability with labor demand for related jobs on the rise as industries move toward sustainable business models. 

“I hope Dr. Adamson's lecture will begin a valuable conversation in our community about the human relationship with the environment, and that we don’t have to all be scientists to fill this role,” Summitt said. “Those who study humanities will find a vital role to play in helping us care for our planet. We want to hold this speaker series to begin community-wide conversations about this important topic.”

Registration for the Sustainability Speaker Series is available here: https://bit.ly/3UCxK9H For further information contact tjohnson@lasierra.edu or call 909-744-2843. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, CA, 92505.