Loyola University Chicago

Part of our Profiled Universities

Institution: Loyola University Chicago 

Focus Area: Using knowledge in service of humanity, responsible leadership, and sustainable operations. 

Expertise: Loyola University Chicago’s vision is to use knowledge in service of humanity. Our Institute of Environmental Sustainability and the Quinlan School of Business, both highly regarded within their disciplines, enact this mission through teaching, research, service, and operations that demonstrate environmental leadership and responsible business. As both units continue to grow and incorporate more sustainability into curriculum, research, and operations, we are also incorporating more discussion of circularity as a path toward achieving sustainability.

Key Projects:

• Quinlan School of Business - Sustainability Management Minor Program – this program educates responsible leaders and incorporates the circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. through the following courses: (1) Sustainable Business Management introduces the circular economy in a module of alternative economic models, (2) Industrial Ecology teaches circular models at system, company, and product levels, (3) Biomimicry teaches nature-inspired design that incorporates principles of the circular economy, (4) Ecological Economics teaches economic models that incorporate principles of the circular economy.

• Institute of Environmental Sustainability – Demonstration Projects - Demonstration projects at the Institute of Environmental Sustainability showcase our (a) biodiesel lab, (b) aquaponics facility, and (c) urban agricultural greenhouse, campus garden, and farmers market. Each of these projects demonstrate the circular economy of biological materials and are resources used for both teaching and research.

• Loyola University Chicago is consistently ranked as one of the greenest campuses in the United States. Campus operations utilize renewable energyrenewable energyEnergy derived from resources that are not depleted on timescales relevant to the economy, i.e. not geological timescales., green roofs, zero waste efforts, compostingcompostingMicrobial breakdown of organic matter in the presence of oxygen., and more. Students have opportunities to work across campus to learn more about the challenges of scaling circular and sustainable operations.

• Faculty Research Projects – individual faculties are engaged in research projects on a variety of topics related to the circular economy, such as circular supply chains and reverse logisticsreverse logisticsSupply chains dedicated to the reverse flow of products and materials for the purpose of maintenance, repair, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, or regenerating natural systems., reusereuseThe repeated use of a product or component for its intended purpose without significant modification. of decommissioned assets, reducing apparel industry waste, product development from biodiesel by-products, adapting nature’s circular models to the circular economy, working with a small business incubator on industrial symbiosis, and a CE100 co.project working with industry and academic partners on garment use in the apparel industry.

Connect with:

Sarah Ku

Assistant Professor of Sustainable Business Management,

School of Environmental Sustainability, Quinlan School of Business

sku@luc.edu

Find out more:

Quinlan School of Business

Sustainability Management minor

Institute of Environmental Sustainability

campus sustainability

Sustainable Business Management