On Earth Day, the Green Action Fund is hosting a selection of panelists to speak about sustainability. The Sustainable Speaker Series will introduce attendees to local and campus leaders and allow students to network with employers focused on sustainability.
The Sustainable Speaker Series will be held on Tuesday, April 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Berger Hall, consisting of three panel sessions. Topics range from sustainability in GIS mapping to bioleaching practices. Anyone from UCCS and the surrounding community is welcome to attend. Catering will be offered, featuring vegan and locally sourced options.
According to Green Action Fund Outreach Specialist Campbell Curcio, a junior geography and environmental studies major, the goal of the Series is “to increase awareness about sustainability at UCCS and in the broader Colorado Springs community.” She hopes that students will attend to meet industry professionals, connect with campus professors they have never taken classes with and learn more about GAF.
The first panel, titled “Sustainability 101” will give attendees an introduction to sustainability and its importance. Ryan Trujillo, Deputy Chief of Staff for the city of Colorado Springs, will speak about his role as a member of the Colorado Springs City Council and how the city is implementing sustainability.
Trujillo and each of the other panelists will have 8 to 10 minutes to speak. Then, the panelists will be asked student-submitted questions. The panel is scheduled to run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The second panel will have GAF members present research findings and project details. The purpose of their session is to raise awareness for successful projects the organization funded and how they’ve made a positive impact on campus sustainability. Their panel will be shorter, running from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m.
To conclude the series of panels, job recruiters and sustainability professionals will be speaking and networking with students in the “Sustainability in the Job Market” panel. “I’m having industry professionals come in,” Curcio said. “I want that focus to help students get internships, help students get jobs. They can network with these people who are actively doing it.”
Leanne Fisher, the marketing and communications director for the American Conservation Experience, will be one of the notable speakers in the third panel, according to Curcio.
Their panel is scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. In addition to their speaking time, organizations will be available around the room to chat with students on breaks and after the event. Campus clubs and organizations, the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and the Trails and Open Spaces Coalition will be available for students to network with.
Curcio urges attendees to come for the entire event. If students are particularly interested in one topic, they are welcome to come to that specific section, as long as they come and go during section breaks to not disrupt presentations.
Following the event, 15 students will be invited to join the presenters for an Exclusive Dinner at Clyde’s Gastropub, where they can ask informal, one-on-one questions. Students will be able to attend the Executive Dinner on a first-come, first-served basis and can RSVP here. The dinner costs $20 to attend.
Students should check their email for a flier with details on how to submit questions to panelists and enter to win one of three gift baskets. The link to ask panelists questions will be open until the end of the event. One gift basket will be given away following each panel’s presentation. The gift baskets are themed after each panel, with goods sourced from small businesses on Etsy.
This is the first time GAF is hosting a Sustainable Speaker Series. Curcio said she has been planning the event since late 2024 with the help of other Green Action Fund members and campus marketing teams.
“There’s been a lot happening with the news and all that, and I want to remind people we’re still here,” Curcio said. “We’re still making an impact. There are students and faculty [who] are actively pursuing their passions [for] sustainability.”
The Sustainability House. Photo by Josiah Dolan.