The Business of Writing - Lundquist College of Business - University ...

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center Spotlight
Center for sUstaI naB le BU s I ness PraC t ICes
SPhErES of INflUENcE
Center changes name to reflect the diversity of growing business interests concerned
with sustainability.
recent years have seen a groundswell of interest in “green” and sustainable
business—and there is no sign of it letting up. It seems that nearly every day another
news story touts a new green business startup, a new alternative energy technology, or a
corporation that has adapted its operations to be more “Earth friendly.” Some might say
it’s because of Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” but to many, it’s also because
sustainability just makes good business sense practically and financially.
The Lundquist College of Business has witnessed this upturn first hand as more and
more individuals, businesses, and organizations express interest in our efforts around
sustainability and operations. Kettle Foods, KEEN Footwear, Boyd Coffee Company, Neil
Kelly, Coastwide Labs, New Seasons Markets, Tektronix, Parr Lumber, and many more
have all expressed enthusiasm for our programs in this topic area, with Robert Polet,
M.B.A. ’76, president and CEO of Gucci, telling students during a lecture last fall that the
college’s sustainability focus is the right program at the right time with the right business
connections to make a difference.
As a result of this growing interest nationally and internationally, the Sustainable
Supply Chain Management Center at the college has changed its name to the Center for
Sustainable Business Practices. The new name reflects a broadened scope for the center
in response to the evolving sphere of business interests and influences with a stake in
sustainability. As such, it brings under a single entity three important areas of expertise:
sustainable supply chain and operations management, change and innovation for social
and environmental stewardship, and measurement and analysis for the life cycle. Each
reflects the center’s focus on the technical side of sustainable business and allows it to
serve the growing needs of constituencies more effectively.
Of great interest was the consultative process used to develop the center’s new name.
Working with selected members from the Lundquist College’s Business Advisory Council
(BAC) over the course of this academic year, the dean and associated faculty redefined
the core mission of the center. It now better reflects the needs of professionals in Oregon
and elsewhere, while enhancing the research focus of the premier scholars associated
with the center.
“The BAC has been enthusiastic and engaged in furthering our goals,” said center
academic director Michael Russo. “It’s been a very productive collaboration with them,
and the result is a name that better communicates to our many stakeholders the areas of
excellence on which our teaching, research, and outreach focus.”
For more information about the Center for Sustainable Business Practices and ongoing
developments, please see the center’s new website at http://lcb.uoregon.edu/csbp.