Partnering with Rumpke Waste & Recycling, Thomas More University continues its commitment as a more conscientious community member holding the second annual Saints Sustainability Celebration Day.
The celebration takes place today at the Crestview Hills campus as a precursor to annual Earth Day festivities. This open-to-the-public celebration begins at 9 a.m. and entails a variety of events.
The day begins with Thomas More President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. and Bruce Rosenthal, Ph.D., dean of the Robert W. Plaster College of Business extending a formal welcome, followed by community partners Rumpke, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and Fifth Third Bank discussing their company’s sustainability efforts in a panel setting.
Students play a key role in the day’s events, participating in a panel discussion followed by a poster session featuring the Blue & Green Environmental Club, English Department, and other campus organizations that will present sustainability initiatives from around the Crestview Hills campus and at Thomas More’s Biology Field Station located in California, Ky.
The afternoon features a vibrant festival, complete with live music, food trucks, and 16 different exhibitors, including student clubs, the Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Conservation Districts, the WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium, and several others.
A tree planting is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the day closes out with a “sustainable dining” event featuring environmentally friendly menu options offered by Aramark, the University’s food services partner.
“Since our company’s inception more than 90 years ago, we have been hyper-focused on protecting and preserving the environment. This year we are making our largest investment to date in recycling along with a vast expansion of our landfill-gas-to-power capabilities,” said Molly Yeager, communications manager, Rumpke. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Thomas More to help showcase all the advancements that have already been made in the region in the sustainability space and encourage additional growth.”
Students will also soon benefit from various departments of the University developing sustainability-related courses, concentrations, and programs as the academic division adds components to new and redesigned courses, ensuring students have the necessary skills with regards to sustainability, to excel in their future careers.
In one of the first updated courses taught at Thomas More, Professor Kris Lovett, Ed.D., led an MBA course in Fall 2022 which focused on a framework that helps managers make decisions regarding sustainability in business in today’s ever-changing global economy.
“From the inaugural Sustainability Celebration Day last year, it has been amazing to see the University integrate and advance sustainability efforts in nearly all aspects of the campus community from academic programs, business practices, the physical campus and operations, and promotion of the University’s mission,” says Chris Lorentz, Ph.D., Thomas More professor and director of the Biology Field Station. “From community service to academic scholarship, sustainability is becoming a more vital part of the culture at Thomas More University.”