Wrigley Institute celebrates Earth Month 2023

As part of USC’s university-wide sustainability framework, Assignment: Earth, the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability addresses climate change and works toward a more sustainable future year-round. This April, however, these efforts became the focal point on USC’s campus through various Earth Month events and programming designed to engage the wider Trojan community.

This year, the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability partnered with the USC Office of Sustainability, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, Environmental Student Assembly, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, and more for Earth Month celebrations.

Coming together to bridge divides and share solutions 

To kick off the month, the annual Climate Forward conference, held at USC’s University Park Campus on April 4th, welcomed more than 370 in-person and 2,000 virtual attendees. This year’s conference, organized by the Wrigley Institute, Center for the Political Future, and national nonprofit Common Ground Committee, brought together leaders to discuss nonpartisan solutions in environmental policy and in shaping the discourse surrounding climate change.

Featured included former U.S. Representatives Val Demings (D-FL) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), former EPA Administrator and first White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. Aimed at providing a forum for individuals to find common ground on environmental solutions, Climate Forward highlighted the importance of coming together to make actionable change.

Earth Month Conversations shine a light on environmental research  

Throughout April, the Wrigley Institute released a series called Earth Month Conversations. These short-form videos shared stories from scholars who are working across a variety of disciplines – from marine biology at USC Dornsife to journalism at USC Annenberg – to tackle environmental challenges posed by climate change. Access to green space, the health of the ocean, and urban tree planning are just a few areas of focus for students and faculty who are affiliated with the Wrigley Institute.

Wrigley Institute scholars share the importance of saving corals 

How does climate change impact oceanic ecosystems? That research focus was amplified across campus during Earth Month. On April 6th, Carly D. Kenkel, Wrigley faculty affiliate and Gabilan Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at USC Dornsife, and Adib Mustofa, 2023 Wrigley Graduate Fellow and Marine and Environmental Biology Ph.D. student, spoke about the role of coral reefs in ocean ecosystems, their resilience against threats such as rising ocean temperatures, and global coral reef restoration efforts. The lecture took place against the backdrop of the intricately knitted coral reef and marine life sculptures that make up Mulyana: Modular Utopia, which was displayed at the USC Fisher Museum of Art from February 25th to April 13th. If you missed the lecture, you can read about Kenkel and Mustofa’s research here.

Extrapolations screening centers climate storytelling

The Wrigley Institute also partnered with the Office of Sustainability, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, and the USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication to organize a theatrical screening of Extrapolations: “Episode 4 – Face of God” at the School of Cinematic Arts. The new AppleTV+ series addresses the lack of climate storytelling on television and depicts a near future where the disturbing effects of climate change have profoundly impacted people’s everyday lives.

Following the screening, Wrigley Institute Director Joe Árvai moderated a panel discussion and Q&A session with series creator Scott Z. Burns and executive producer and writer Dorothy Fortenberry. The two discussed their vision for the series and their hopes of sparking environmental action by portraying relatable stories that add a human dimension to scientific data.

USC Wrigley Institute announces big changes to reflects its expanded mission

During Earth Week, the Wrigley Institute announced its renaming to the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability, a change that reflects its long-term growth and expanded mission. Initially established as a marine research station for studying Santa Catalina Island’s unique marine ecology, in recent years Wrigley Institute has grown to encompass the USC Dornsife Environmental Studies Program, USC Sea Grant, three themed research centers, and an engagement center, all while maintaining the original facility on Catalina Island, known today as the Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC). In addition to the new name, the Wrigley Institute also unveiled new artwork, designed by USC student Rika Mizoguchi, to represent its identity.

Intersectional environmentalist Leah Thomas shares her journey as an author and activist 

In keeping with the institute’s focus on environmental justice, the Wrigley Institute closed out its Earth Month celebrations with Academia to Activism, an evening with Leah Thomas. The event was a collaboration with the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, USC’s Environmental Student Assembly, and USC’s Undergraduate Student Government. Thomas, an environmental communicator, coined the term, founded the non-profit, and wrote the book Intersectional Environmentalist.

At the event, Thomas shared how she combines her social justice advocacy work and passion for environmentalism to cultivate an inclusive online community. Following her remarks, Associate Professor (Teaching) of Environmental Studies Shannon Gibson moderated a Q&A session with students. Gibson uses Thomas’s book in her classroom to teach about environmental justice and policy.