Wayne State University Moves Ahead As a United Nations Regional Center of Expertise
In April 2022, Wayne State University and the University of Windsor were designated as the United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development in the Detroit-Windsor region. RCEs are networks of educational institutions, communities, governments, businesses, and other organizations that work together to advance and implement sustainability education within a region. SBN Detroit talked with Donna Kashian, Wayne State University professor and director of Environmental Sciences, who is leading the efforts at the university. Q: Tell us about regional centers of expertise. A: The RCE is a global program. Our designation is somewhat unique in that we are binational. In our case, the US and Canada focus on the shared legacy of the region. The waterway is deeply linked to industry and economics in our area, and the two nations face similar challenges. We’ll work toward enhancing the economy to meet the sustainable era. This involves a large set of goals with a foundation in education. Part of our work is to bring together community partners and address activities related to sustainable development challenges. So, we are connecting entities such as the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, key individuals within schools and universities, the government, municipalities, and nonprofits to work on collaborative projects toward our goals. Ultimately, we will utilize these partnerships and networks to support research, training, and participation to move sustainable education forward. Q: How is this set up? A: Wayne State University has been very supportive of this effort and has contributed several resources, including support for two graduate students who will serve as sustainability ambassadors to help move things forward. Through the UN RCE, we are in the process of forming a sustainability council. We are appointing an individual from every unit within the university to report back to this council. Additionally, we will also have an external advisory board to help identify sustainability challenges in the Southeast Michigan region and the Essex region. The fellows will start tackling research and projects that are identified. Q: I understand that the goal of the UN RCE is to identify actions that address climate change, economic and health disparities, and social inequity to create a more sustainable future. How will you approach this? A: This is incredibly broad-sweeping and each university will tackle projects differently. WSU just launched a new five-year sustainability plan, and environmental justice and social inequity are addressed throughout. Many universities don’t include these front and center in their plans, so in this way, I think we can work as an example to advance university sustainability planning as a whole. Regarding climate change, we recently submitted a $3 million project to tackle climate resilience and flooding – that involves infrastructure and design – in addition to many projects in the community and education around that, which include talking to local middle and high school children. Two of my students and I have an upcoming visit to 6th-grade classes to educate young people on climate change. So our work involves projects, traditional research plus community education. Q: What are the benefits to students? A: Approximately six years ago WSU applied for and received a training grant in urban sustainability which initiated our T-Rust (Transformative Research Urban Sustainability Training) program. This program is wrapping up and has transitioned into the UN RCE. This program supported 33 graduate students and, to date, ten have graduated with seven master’s degrees and three doctorate degrees. Two of these students have been chosen to work on research and science policy on Capitol Hill. We are training future leaders, and they are walking into really great positions. The UN RCE designation will help us step into undergraduate opportunities as well, so we can reach more students and start training at an earlier stage. When the students hear the United Nations designation their ears perk up and are anxious to get involved. Watching the grad students go on to succeed and being able to extend more opportunities to undergrads is huge. Q: How will this work potentially impact Southeast Michigan businesses? A: This is one of our big agenda items. Typically, the environmental side of the university, where most of my connections are, has not been as connected as it could be to the business side. We’ve been working in silos. So we are working to form partnerships and do a better job at this. Q: What other things are you involved in around sustainability? A: I serve as a US representative for the International Joint Commission’s science advisory board, and next year will serve as president of the International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR). I also am on the Conservation and Environmental Issues Committee – Society of Fresh Water Science, and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility+ Committee (IDEA+) committee for IAGLR. Q: How do these things help drive and shape your work overall? A: I think it all ties together. People say I’ve taken so much on, but it’s all interconnected and I think it’s about centralizing the work, not creating more. It’s all focused on the health of the Great Lakes and environmental justice. I hope to use and bring my shared resources to the UN RCE. Q: Where does your passion come from? A: Growing up, I lived in a Portuguese community in Massachusetts that has a long history of pollution from the textile industry. My family has an extraordinarily high cancer rate. I’ve always loved being outside, and I’ve always been passionate about improving health. I think my drive started there. And then five years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer myself. That has pushed me. The drive was there, but I now have an even stronger desire to push forward. Q: What is the end game? A: To live in a society that is just from a sustainable perspective, and to live within a healthy climate and environment. We clearly cannot accomplish this through the UN RCE alone, but we can move the dial. Training our youth to continue the quest and vote
The Role of Southeast Michigan Colleges and Universities in Sustainability
When it comes to sustainability, colleges and universities are in a unique position in that they must approach it from an implementation standpoint, but they also have the opportunity to deeply educate and affect the next generation in carrying sustainability actions forward. According to Rose Spickler, director of statewide engagement at the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (WMSBF), which runs the Campus Sustainability Collective, colleges and universities across the state are in various stages of their sustainability journeys. The WMSBF Campus Sustainability Collective is a collaboration between staff and faculty from campuses across Michigan that share resources to improve their respective sustainability goals. The group consists of representatives from over 20 Michigan campuses, including Eastern Michigan University, Siena Heights University, and Wayne State University. Eastern Michigan University began formal efforts around sustainability practices ten years ago and has seen continued passion and involvement from students. Five years ago, one student championed the goal of starting a President’s Commission on Sustainability on campus and four years ago, the commission was formed. Wayne State University established an Office of Sustainability in 2011 and has a five-year sustainability action plan in place. Siena Heights University, in Adrian, formed a Sustainability Committee in 2012 and has made progress in recycling, food choices, and the execution of a campus-wide energy audit. The institution is also incorporating sustainability into its curriculum. SBND spoke to all three institutions about their challenges, gains, and plans. Q: What are your main areas of focus and achievements to date when it comes to sustainability? Thomas Kovacs, Professor, Department of Geography and Geology, Eastern Michigan University Our President’s Sustainability Commission identified Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as governing bodies to help us determine our framework, and we have been working within these guidelines toward sustainability. As such, our focus is academics, engagement, operations, and administration. On campus, a co-generation heat and power system has been installed to create an annual reduction of 21,305 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the preservation of 260 acres of forests. The campus also has a bioswale designed to remove debris and pollution out of surface runoff water. It also serves as a living laboratory for students and staff. In 2020, Eastern Michigan University was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as 123 in the nation among 389 national universities, and among the top three national universities in Michigan in the social mobility category. We are very proud of this. Donna Kashian, Director of Environmental Science, and Professor of Biology, Wayne State University We established our Office of Sustainability in 2011 and it is a collaboration between groups. We have just submitted a new five-year plan that is very robust, and includes these subdivisions: Environmental justice Carbon reduction Built environment Water quality and quantity Energy Transportation/mobility Urban biodiversity Sustainable food practices Waste reduction We are more intentional now than ever before. Internally we focus on teaching, research, and facilities, and externally we are committed to doing a better job recognizing our place in the community with a larger focus on the greater Detroit area. We also network with leaders at other universities across the world to learn best practices in sustainability. Thomas Wassmer, Professor of Biology, Siena Heights University One of the areas we’ve been successful in is our curriculum. Recently we audited all course descriptions and found that 31% cover at least one of the 17 Sustainability Development Goals of the UN. That is a solid start, and we are working to increase this. One thing we are proud of is our William Issa Endowment Speaker Series where we invite extraordinary speakers in to educate on the environment and sustainability. We also feature an environmental documentary series that’s in its 14th season and is open to the students, staff, and public. What are your main goals going forward? Thomas Kovacs, Professor in the Department of Geography and Geology, Eastern Michigan University Our focus is to improve our STARS score and to work on communicating to the university how we plan to move ahead. I envision in the next two to three years we will greatly improve on our STARS scores. Donna Kashian, Director of Environmental Sciences, and Professor of Biology, Wayne State University We are excited about our new five-year plan and expect to move a lot of efforts forward in the upcoming months and years. For this plan, we called on specific people and groups and outlined action items – things they need to do. I expect to see a lot of visible changes on campus. We are also anticipating a big announcement in October regarding our carbon commitment. Thomas Wassmer, Associate Professor of Biology, Siena Heights University Using more renewable energy sources to reduce our carbon footprint, working toward a pesticide-free and chemical-free campus, and increasing its biodiversity. I’m a big advocate of maintaining our vegetative structures differently. We need to overcome the idea that to look inviting and well taken care of, the campus has to be perfectly manicured and blacktopped. We are working to get there. What has been most rewarding to you in your journey toward sustainability? Thomas Kovacs, Professor in the Department of Geography and Geology, Eastern Michigan University When I dug in, I saw so many people quietly working on campus trying to make things better who nobody knew about. Learning how much individuals care has been the most rewarding thing. For example, we had one person who was taking care of the grounds and working on recycling efforts and creating composting opportunities. Another person put boxes out at the end of the semesters during move-out times to collect electronics and such to avoid them going into landfills. These grassroots efforts matter and we are working to formalize plans and gain strength in collaborating. Donna Kashian, Director of Environmental Sciences, and Professor of Biology, Wayne, State University It’s been most rewarding seeing the passion of the students and faculty, many of which are
