2026 CSJ Center Symposium

KEYNOTE | 10 – 11:30 A.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor: Modeling the City of Tomorrow
Keynote by Nancy C. Tuchman
In this keynote presentation, ecologist Nancy Tuchman, Ph.D. will demonstrate how a university can model the "City of Tomorrow". Throughout her 36-year career at Loyola University Chicago (LUC), Dr. Tuchman has been a driving force in incorporating environmental sustainability into the university’s campus operations and academic programs. Dr. Tuchman’s leadership has been instrumental in LUC achieving carbon neutrality in 2025, and consistently ranking among the greenest colleges in the nation. Dr. Tuchman founded the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES), the first at any Jesuit university worldwide, which has developed eight interdisciplinary undergraduate programs, a master’s degree, doubled the full-time faculty and staff, and expanded student enrollment up to 500. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her environmental leadership. Session in-person and online via livestream.

Welcome

• MaryAnne Huepper, C.S.J., Director, CSJ Center for Reconciliation & Justice

Keynote

• Nancy C. Tuchman, Founding Dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago

SESSION 2 | 12 – 1:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Dream Big, Dream Different: How can we respond to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor?
A university’s potential for modeling a better world relies on the creativity of its faculty, students, and staff. In this session, a faculty panel will share new ideas that respond to the call for concrete action that addresses the current ecological crisis. Participants will be invited to reflect, discuss, and propose ideas for how LMU can model a more just, equitable, and ecologically principled Los Angeles. Session in-person and online via livestream.

• Elsy Arévalo, Director, LMU Center for Religion and Spirituality
• Noriko Sato Ward, Assistant Director, D.K. Kim Foundation Business for Good Program, LMU College of Business Administration
• Démian Willette, Associate Professor of Biology, LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering

SESSION 3 | 2 – 3:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Strengthening LMU’s Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
Building on the work of the LMU Indigenous Working Group and ongoing collaborations across campus, this roundtable will engage Indigenous scholars and community members in a discussion about how LMU can work to center Indigenous perspectives and knowledge, in ways that are community-driven and relationship-centered. Session in-person and online via livestream.

• Jared Coleman (Big Pine Paiute), Assistant Professor of Computer Science, LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering
• Christina Conley (Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California), Tribal Cultural Resource Administrative Project Manager
• Edgar Perez (Gabrielino/Tongva Nation), Tribal Historian
• Nicolas Rosenthal, Chair and Professor of History, LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
• Kelly Stewart (Gabrielino-Tongva), Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies, California State University Long Beach

SESSION 4 | 4 – 5:30 P.M. | UNH 1857

Advancing Mission through Global Education Roundtable
Recognizing the complexities and interconnectedness of our local and global communities are critical to addressing common challenges that transcend borders. Being able to connect across diverse fields and engage in collaborative work helps to ensure that LMU students, staff and faculty are prepared to build a brighter, more equitable world. In this roundtable, participants are invited to openly discuss how we might advance our mission through global learning and immersion that fosters justice, equity, and well-being for people and planet. Session in-person only.

• Moderated by Jennifer Ramos, Director of Global Learning and Fellowships, Professor of Political Science & International Relations, LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts

SESSION 5 | 7 – 8:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Live Ambient Electronic Music Performance
Join us for a live ambient electronic music performance by two current undergraduates in the Recording Arts program. They will be using manipulated sounds of nature and combining them with electronic music sound synthesis to create a series of wonderful and evocative soundscapes for your enjoyment. Session in-person only.

Producers and Performers

• Theodore Gould, Undergraduate Student
• Aidan Lester, Undergraduate Student

Faculty Support

• Roy Finch, Assistant Professor and Chair of Recording Arts, LMU School of Film & Television

SESSION 6 | 10 – 11:30 A.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

How does LMU empower our community to create a sustainable City of Tomorrow?
More than ever, today’s students care about our planet and sustainability, but all the great work being done in this area at LMU is easily overlooked when it occurs in units scattered across the university. Environmentally focused entities at LMU should have more connections and better ways to work in partnership. This session’s panel consists of a group of collaborators formed to brainstorm ideas about how to serve the campus and promote sustainability; now we turn to you, the community, for feedback. We will first share about each entity we represent and outline how we currently serve LMU and then open the session for feedback and ideas on how to answer the call of Laudato Si’ and our journey to ecological renewal. Session in-person and online via livestream.

• Nicole Bouvier-Brown, Professor and Chair of Environmental Science, Co-director of the Coastal Research Institute, LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering
• Thomas Ford, Co-director of the Coastal Research Institute, LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering, and CEO of The Bay Foundation
• Lisa Fimiani, Drollinger Environmental Fellow, LMU Center for Urban Resilience
• Ian McKeown, Campus Sustainability Officer, Loyola Marymount University
• Michael McNaught, Assistant Director of Programming and Operations, CSJ Center for Reconciliation & Justice
• Jeff Theis, Clinical Associate Professor of Management, Director of the Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainability, LMU College of Business Administration
• Katherine Trisolini, Professor of Law, LMU Loyola Law School
• Tyler Harlan, Associate Professor and Chair of Urban and Environmental Studies, LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts

SESSION 7 | 12 – 1:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Creating a Healthier Los Angeles: Improving Transportation and Reclaiming Green Spaces
A panel will address the ways car culture and insufficient green spaces have negatively impacted environmental resilience and public health in Los Angeles and how we can restore balance. Panelists will examine the positive impacts of green infrastructure and outdoor spaces, highlighting the revitalization of the LA river; public transportation and affordable housing; and the role business can play in transforming Los Angeles into our shared vision for the city of tomorrow. Session in-person and online via livestream.

• Junghoon Park, Assistant Professor of Management, LMU College of Business Administration
• Joh Petrie, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, LMU Frank R. Seaver of Science & Engineering
• Keyon Raissinia, Undergraduate Student
• Eric Strauss, President's Professor of Biology and Executive Director, LMU Center for Urban Resilience
• Isabella Zadoyan, Graduate Student, MSE Program

SESSION 8 | 2 – 3:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

"Saraka" A Work by Souly Dance Arts 
Saraka, translated in Bambara as The Sacrifice, is the event that always takes place at all traditional and familial ceremonies such as coronations, coming of age ceremonies, baptisms, etc. The Saraka have been an ancient tradition for centuries and are led by Griot or feticheurs (sacred magicians) in the Manding Empire. Souly Dance Arts will be bringing the high energy of this Griot ancestral tradition, which is part of West African daily life. The artists will be sitting in a half circle leaving the center stage empty for the dancers to demonstrate traditional steps in communication with the lead Djembéfola (Djembe drummer). The cast will include professional musicians from Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Senegal as well as dancers. The ensemble will play several traditional West African instruments including the Djembe, the Dundun (Kenkeni, Sangban, Dundun Ba), the Balan (Traditional Xylophone), the Boté Drum, and the Djabara. Session in-person and online via livestream.

Artistic Director

• Wilfried Souly, Assistant Professor of Dance, LMU College of Communication & Fine Arts

Performers

• Djembé: Aboubacar Kouyaté, Clayton Kraus, Mohamed Sylla, Wilfried Souly
• Dunduns: Gnenemon Soro
• Balan: Mohamed Sylla, Clayton Kraus
• Singer: Aboubacar Kouyate
• Bara and Calabash: Wilfried Souly
• Dancer: Wilfried Souly

SESSIONS 9 & 10 | 5 – 7:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

"Edgewise" by Eliza Clark: A Staged Reading
Edgewise explores how language, power, and moral certainty collide under pressure. Set within a world shaped by late-stage capitalism and precarity, the play examines what happens when people are forced to speak—and listen—without much room to be wrong. Edgewise is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals (concordtheatricals.com). Session in-person only.

Content notice: this staged reading of Edgewise contains strong language, intense verbal conflict, and references to violence. The play includes sustained emotional tension and confrontational dialogue. Audience members are welcome to step out as needed. 

Co-directors

• Joseph Bricker, Graduate Student, MFA Performance Pedagogy
• Rebekah Slepski, Graduate Student, MFA Performance Pedagogy

Faculty Support

• Stacey Cabaj, Associate Professor and Chair of Theatre Arts, LMU College of Communication & Fine Arts
• Dana Resnick, Clinical Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, LMU College of Communication & Fine Arts

Dramaturgical Consultant

• Arnab Banerj, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, LMU College of Communication & Fine Arts

Cast

• Malak “Angel” Alkandar, Undergraduate Student
• Natalie Alonzo, Undergraduate Student
• Mary Avila-Wilkins, Undergraduate Student
• Reuben Dodd, Undergraduate Student
• Laurel Keisler, Undergraduate Student

SESSION 11 | 10 – 11:30 A.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Green Roofs as Living Classrooms: Design, Biodiversity, and Student Research
This session highlights the story behind an LMU green roof restoration project—how a struggling roof was transformed into a place of care, learning, and ecological renewal. Tom Hawkins, an industry leader in green roof installation in California, will discuss the shift from traditional sedum-based roofs to native, meadow-habitat green roofs that are better adapted to California’s climate. Biology student Kyle Wright will share data showing how this type of green roof supports vibrant plant and animal community, increasing system resilience and allowing the roof to be fully herbicide- and pesticide-free. Members of the Green Team will reflect on the restoration process itself—what they learned, how they worked together, and how shared care for a living system fostered connection to one another and to nature. Together, the session invites reflection on how sustainable green roofs can support biodiversity while also cultivating community and hope within campus environments. Session in-person and online via livestream.

• Tom Hawkins, President and Co-owner, Florasource Ltd.
• Tatiana Kuzmenko, Instructor of Biology, LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering
• Kyle Wright, Undergraduate Student

SESSION 12 | 12 – 1:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

Connection to the Natural World, in the City of Tomorrow
This panel will explore the efforts of four individuals, their respective organizations, and their personal perspectives on the needs and benefits of investments, for Angelenos, to connect with the natural world. Direct experiences in connection and reconnection will frame the dialogue. Inspiration, endeavor, and joy permeate their narratives and guide the daily actions of these individuals working for the City of Tomorrow. Session in-person and online via livestream.

• Meredith McCarthy, Senior Manager of Sustainability Partnerships at LA28
• Gregory Rachal, President, Black Surfers Collective
• Bob Ramirez, President, Gabrielino Tongva Sacred Springs Foundation
• Tom Ford, Co-director of the Coastal Research Institute, LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering, CEO of The Bay Foundation, Director of the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program

SESSION 13 | 2 – 3:30 P.M. | LION'S GARDEN at TENDERICH APARTMENTS

Small Spaces have Big Uses Roundtable
Urban farms, pocket parks, micro-forests – in recent years, residents of dense cities have made use of limited land to restore natural ecology, respond to food deserts, and improve air and water quality. Personal yards, empty lots, and small parcels of land can provide numerous resources if approached creatively. In this roundtable, participants are invited to openly discuss how small, easily overlooked plots of land on campus can be re-imagined for teaching and research, personal and spiritual enrichment, and/or restoring the local ecology. This session will be held at the Lion’s Garden, behind Tenderich Apartments, which provides a thoughtful example of what can be. Session in-person only.

SESSION 14 | 4 – 5:30 P.M. | UNH 1857

Business Meeting (closed session)
Meeting of faculty, staff and stakeholders working in integral ecology.

SESSION 15 | 7 – 8:30 P.M. | UNH AHMANSON AUDITORIUM

"Rooted In Change: The story of the Gottlieb Native Garden" A Documentary Film Screening
By sharing the story of Susan Gottlieb and the extraordinary garden that she started 33 years ago, Rooted In Change: The Story of the Gottlieb Native Garden reveals the power of native plant gardens to combat climate change and species decline around the globe. While revealing Susan’s profound impact on the native garden movement in California and beyond, the film revels in the beauty of the natural world, taking us deep into the garden’s lush world of flora and fauna. Session in-person only.

• Susan Gottlieb (Executive Producer and Garden Visionary), Creator of the Gottlieb Native Garden
• Gregory Ruzzin (Director), Professor of Production, LMU School of Film & Television
• Diane Shader Smith (Producer), writer, speaker, and advocate for ecological restoration and public health
• Eric Strauss (Narrator and Featured Expert), President's Professor of Biology and Executive Director, LMU Center for Urban Resilience.