Sustainability Groups
Campus Sustainability Committee
In 2010, the Sustainability Committee was created as a means for all areas of the campus community to engage in dialogue regarding campus sustainability. This committee helps provide a centralized forum by which students, faculty, and staff can examine how to continue improving and fulfilling the university principle of fostering leaders for the creative coexistence of nature and humanity.
- Tsuneo Yabusaki | Chair of the Campus Sustainability Committee, Director of Administration
- Archibald E. Asawa | VP of Finance & Administration
- Chintan Amin, MS | Director of Environmental Health & Safety
- Scott Collins | Operations Manager, Facility Service Partners
- Brian Durick, MS | Director of Student Services
- Tom Harkenrider, P.E. | Chief of Operations
- M. Robert Hamersley, PhD | Dean of Faculty, Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry
- Danny McNamara | President, Sequoia Environmental Services, Inc.
- Michelle Hobby-Mears, MBA | Associate Dean of Students, Director of Student Activities
- John Min, MBA, P.E. | Chief Information Officer
- Hyon J. Moon, EDD | Dean of Students
- Mal Thomas | Managing Partner, Facility Service Partners
- Wilnie Merilien | Residence Hall Coordinator
- Alvaro Ruiz | General Manager, Bon Appetit
- Bryan Penprase | Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations
- Don Hodgson | Director of Security
Current Sustainability Committee Student Chairs
- Nugnandini Chhetri (Class of 2025)
- Raven Gellerman (Class of 2026)
- Jackie Jiang (Class of 2024)
- Khue Nguyen (Class of 2026)
- Ayumi Otsuji (Class of 2024)
- Victoria Souza e Robles (Class of 2025)
Student Sustainability Committee
Student Sustainability Committee Chairs (SSCC) coordinate with students and the administration to strive towards the goal of making Soka more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Acting as a voice from the student body, the SSCC organizes initiatives such as the Tupperware Box Program to address sustainability-related issues on campus.
The SSCC researches the current activities and management systems that take part in student life and analyzes their sustainability aspect. At the same time, the SSCC meets with school faculty, staff, and administration to bring their expertise to figure out solutions. Finally, the SSCC coordinates with students to take initiatives on implementing plans and organizing activities regarding sustainability.
Select Sustainability Achievements
Improved sustainable campus environment
- California Native Plant Garden
- Turf conversion and increase in drought-tolerant and native plants used in landscaping
- Transition to Integrated Pest Management
- Soka Instructional Garden (SIG)
- Addition of electric hand dryers to replace paper towel usage
- Installation of water bottle filling stations in the library
- Conversion from gas to electric operated facilities and landscaping equipment
- STARS Silver Rating (2018)
Student Sustainability Educators
The Student Sustainability Educator’s (SSE) role is to foster a culture of care for both people and the planet among students.
SSE Objectives
The SSE will receive training and resources to become a leader for sustainability; organize activities, projects, and educational communications that support environmental awareness and social justice at SUA; establish relationships and connections with students in order to create awareness about their role in their community; create programs and events to assist students in learning relevant and easy strategies for living sustainably on campus; and conduct research about a different topic along with strategies to share.
Current Student Sustainability Educators
The current student sustainability educators are Jackie Jiang (Class of 2024), Ayumi Otsuji (Class of 2024), and Vitória Souza e Robles (Class of 2025), Khue Nguyen (Class of 2026), Raven Gellerman (Class of 2026).
Students' engagement in sustainability
In 2022, sustainability educators have formed “Sustainability Group” for creating the opportunity for students to contribute to sustainable SUA in many ways: giving suggestions during meetings, planning and supporting zero waste events, developing and promoting projects etc. Some activities include the following.
Clothing swap event
Three-day campus wide event in collaboration with Environmental Studies. The Soka community brought over 500 garments, which participating students, faculty, and staff could swap for free. The swap highlighted a business section where students could receive business attire
Trail clean-up
Volunteer opportunities to participate in local trail clean up events. Students can learn about the native plants and local ecology through helping manage landscape of nearby trail roads. Sustainability educators also organize beach clean-up events.
Movie nights
Sustainability educators organize movie nights to provide students opportunities to learn about environmental issues and have discussion with others.
Student Sustainability educators
Sustainability educators organize events to improve sustainability awareness about environmental
issues.
- Earth-day events
- Waste separation instruction at the cafeteria
- Assisting zero-waste campus events
Earth-day events
Every year in April, SSE organizes earth day events. In 2023, we created a booth to sign environmental petitions, local volunteer opportunities, and organizations to donate to. We also prepared a waste diversion game, an art station to create messages to the planet. We also offered boba tea in reusable cups and compostable straws.
Waste diversion instruction campaigns
SSE organizes waste diversion instruction campaigns in the first week of each semester at the cafeteria to assist students sort waste.
Zero waste event
SSE assists student event organizers to make their event low-waste or zero waste from the event planning phase For example, we suggest event organizers to utilize locally sourced vendors and compostable or recyclable utensils. At the event, we help participants understand which waste goes to which bins. In this way, we aim to make SUA more sustainable.