Central College’s leadership role in promoting sustainability drew Presidential advisor and White House Federal Environmental Executive Michelle Moore to the Pella campus March 24 on a fact-finding mission.
Among the things she learned is that Central senior Ted Dirkx wants her job.
The college has gained recognition for its green construction methods. Central’s Vermeer Science Center received Iowa’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. Central’s McKee Residence Hall was the second building in Iowa to receive a gold LEED rating and when the Roe Center opened in 2009, it was the first campus building to earn a platinum rating, the highest awarded.
Yet it wasn’t just buildings that attracted Moore, noted Dr. Jim Zaffiro, a professor of political science and environmental studies faculty member. The college’s inclusion of a global sustainability course as part of its core requirements is unique, as is its global sustainability minor, the first in Iowa.
Moore’s visit was a testament to Central’s efforts, Dirkx said.
“Her role is to strategize about how the federal government can become more green,” he said. “It says a lot about Central that it is seen as a model for the best practices of a green organization.”
But the first item on Moore’s agenda was to talk to Central students.
“There were Pella Corp. executives there and Central president (Mark) Putnam was there but she focused her attention on the students,” Dirkx said. “I was really impressed. She sat with the students and asked us questions. She really wanted to know our perspective. It was refreshing to have someone like her leave Washington and come to Iowa where we’re dealing with these issues in real life. She came to the source instead of just staying in her office.”
Zaffiro said Moore was also impressed as she heard the questions Central students raised and learned about the sustainability initiatives they’re developing. Moore encouraged Central students to apply for the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s internship program and Zaffiro said additional high-profile opportunities may evolve.
“The fact that she probably went back to the White House telling government officials about Central College students is pretty powerful,” Zaffiro said.
“I was a farm kid and always loved being outdoors,” he said.
He developed a passion for environmental preservation through his high school work with Future Farmers of America as he raised ring-necked pheasants.
“My senior year I raised 200 birds,” he said. “That’s what really sparked my interest.”
Dirkx wanted to compete in college football and wrestling and Central’s rich athletics tradition was appealing to him. But the college’s interdisciplinary environmental studies program is what sealed the decision.
“I compared it to the other schools and Central’s was the most comprehensive,” he said. “Other schools just pigeon-holed it as part of the science department.”
Central’s emphasis on global sustainability woven throughout the curriculum. There’s even a foreign language course, Germany and the Environment. Environmental studies majors can choose tracks in environmental science or global policy. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Anya Butt directs the program which also includes faculty members from the biology, political science, English, communications studies and economics departments.
And unlike the environmental studies major, the new global sustainability minor is designed for students seeking careers in other fields.
“Intentionally, it’s a minor that students with other career interests may opt to pick up,” Zaffiro said. “They maybe don’t come here with an environmental studies focus. But they learn about it after they get here and get excited about it.”
While most college students are still drawn to more traditional academic majors, the global sustainability minor can enhance their employability as they develop skills they’ll need on the job. Businesses and organizations are facing increasingly complex sustainability issues, yet most lack expertise.
“This is not pie in the sky,” Zaffiro said. “This is actually something that enhances whatever career path the student is on. It’s tangible and experiential within that path and lines up nicely with different kinds of careers.”
Less than 35 colleges and universities nationwide offer a sustainability minor, and Central is among just two of those with a global emphasis.
Dirkx’s path at Central has led to off-campus experiences, as well as the football field. As a junior he spent a semester on U.S. Senator Tom Harkin’s staff in Washington, working with a legislative assistant for energy and the environment. This spring, he’s a communications intern in the Iowa Senate, working with the Democrats’ research staff, affording an inside look at the legislative process that he described as “phenomenal.”
And after graduation in May, Dirkx will pack his car for Washington.
“Unfortunately, there are not a lot of public policy jobs in the Midwest,” he said. “But there’s no doubt in my mind that eventually I’ll come back to Iowa. I truly love Iowa.”
Meanwhile, he’d welcome a spot in Moore’s office.
“There are a lot of professionals making the jump to public policy,” he said. “I’ll try to follow her path. I’d love to work for the executive branch of government.”