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PCGS students selected to attend prestigious Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE)
November 1, 2018

By Amanda Mbuya

The Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) is known as the “boot-camp” for individuals wanting to explore in-depth the field of sustainability and energy. The program focuses on policy challenges, research and knowledge in the field for real-world application to global sustainability issues.

 SISE Fellows are selected through a highly competitive application process; Fellows are selected from a large pool of applicants from around the country to train at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Winnie Mulamba and Ashley Young represented the Patel College of Global Sustainability this year at this prestigious Summer Institute.

 Mulamba and Young were tasked with restoring vacant lots in impoverished neighborhoods of Chicago. The skills they learned during the conference were applied towards helping underprivileged Chicago communities become more vibrant and self-sustaining.

 “The cultural experience was unparalleled,” said Young. “The organizers planned our time well and the accommodations were great. I would highly recommend every Patel student to apply.”

 The SISE program prides itself on its rigorous networking, research facilities and serious discussions designed to leave lasting impressions on SISE Fellows (SISE’ers) and set them up for professional success.

 Dario Rodriguez, a 2017 SISE Fellow and PCGS Alumni, credits a large part of his academic success to his time spent at the Summer Institute. Rodriguez explains that the opportunities provided by SISE added value to his journey as a sustainability student due to discussions about various industries and their relationship to environmental issues.

 “For a sustainability student this is a very valuable opportunity, because we do need to know what is going on in all sectors of the economy in terms of the interrelationship between technology and sustainability,” said Rodriguez. “SISE 2017 also brought the philosophical discussion pertaining to how sustainability was dealt with in the past and the present as a real change of paradigm – from being a low priority status quo issue in the past to one that requires urgent attention to the prevailing economic and political structures.”

 For more information on the 2018 SISE Conference, please visit: https://uicsise.com/sisenews/sise2018recap