School of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago

09/02/2026

Loyola University Chicago achieved a perfect Green Rating of 99 out of 99, earning a spot on The Princeton Review's Green Honor Roll and named a Best Green School in its 2027 Best Colleges Guide.

As part of this rating, Loyola was evaluated based on:
🌱 Whether Loyola offers a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable
🌱 How well Loyola prepares students for employment in the clean energy economy and citizenship defined by environmental concerns and opportunities
🌱 How environmentally responsible Loyola's policies are

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cgODik

07/31/2026

Building a more sustainable future starts with people who are willing to lead, learn, and take action. 🌎

We're revisiting a powerful message from Dean Malini Suchak that continues to inspire our community.

07/30/2026

As invasive red swamp crayfish spread through the Chicago River, Reuben Keller, Professor and Graduate Program Director, joined Fox 32 to explain why these crayfish are a growing concern, what to do if you spot one, and how they claimed the river as their new home.

Keller drew on his years of research on the effects of invasive aquatic species in the Great Lakes and Chicago's waterways and work with Loyola students investigating technologies to prevent the spread and harm invasive species like these present to our ecosystems.

Check out what he had to say!

Loyola University Chicago professor Dr. Reuben Keller explains why invasive red swamp crayfish are a growing concern in the Chicago River and what residents should do if they spot one.

07/09/2026

Gilbert Michaud, Asst. Prof. of Environmental Policy, shares his research on what factors influence community acceptance and skepticism of solar energy projects with Loyola Today.

☀️ https://bit.ly/4vUbpUI

06/30/2026

Zach Waickman, Senior Program Manager, shared his nonlinear career path to his role with the Searle Biodiesel Lab with students at Kilmer Elementary School, detailed in a Letter to the Editor in the Chicago Sun-Times.

🔗: https://bit.ly/4eZCcZJ

06/23/2026

Loyola students placed third in their division for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar District Cup, a national collegiate renewable energy design competition. 🏅

The Rambler Renewables team developed a solar and storage proposal for Clemson University, which included renewable energy modeling, layout and conceptual design, financial analysis, and development planning to deliver a full engineering solution. 🔋

Congratulations to Florence Pan, Pilar Magnotta, Sophie Blohowiak, Elena Yacoben, and SES students Liv Bergenholtz and Megan Gauthier, advised by Asst. Prof. Gilbert Michaud. 🏆

06/15/2026

Dean Malini Suchak shares how students and entry-level professionals can break into the sustainability industry amidst the "green jobs boom" with Job Advisor. 💼

Read her tips to plant seeds for career growth. 🌱
https://bit.ly/49TX7L5

The Green Jobs Boom Is Real—Here's How to Position Yourself for Success

06/10/2026

Kevin Erickson, our senior sustainable agriculture manager, was quoted by the Chicago Tribune about a vertical farm in a downtown Chicago office space that delivers food locally.

It “creates a major opportunity for year-round production because most food production still happens during only three seasons of the year,” he said.

Farm Zero is selling vegetables to several companies in the Loop and looking to build more vertical farms in the city.

06/01/2026

Loyola University Chicago has received the Platinum rating from the AASHE STARS program, the first institution in the midwest and one of only ten in the U.S.

Many of our students, faculty, and staff are involved in the initiatives that helped earn this distinction, including the Biodiesel Production Program, Urban Agriculture and Campus Gardens, and Zero Waste Games.

Learn more about Loyola's sustainability performance below.

Loyola University Chicago has earned the Platinum rating—the highest possible—from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in their Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

05/14/2026

Visit our YouTube channel to discover what life is like at the School of Environmental Sustainability. Hear directly from our students, faculty, and staff. (Please like, subscribe, and share!) https://www.youtube.com/