Millersville University is excited to announce the launching of the Sustainability Education and Research Project (SERP), a new branch of the Civic and Community Engagement and Research Project (CCERP). The SERP heralds a new era of transformation on the MU campus. SERP will be directed by Dr. Nadine Garner, Associate Professor of Psychology.

The mission of the SERP is to

• Educate the MU community about the three pillars of sustainability (environmental protection, economic justice, and social equality);
• Provide opportunities for MU to directly participate in sustainability initiatives on and off campus;
• Encourage student and faculty-led research and service on sustainability.

Current SERP projects include training all of the residence halls to participate in the TerraCycle program (with proceeds going to Smile Train); creating urban garden projects with children in the city of Lancaster; and co-sponsoring a campus wide talk by Jim Niquette, CEO and Founder of W.A.T.E.R. (Waterfor Africa Through Everyday Responsiveness). Upcoming projects include a campus No Impact Week; installing a native plant meadow at MU; and forming a SERP Think Tank for the Millersville community to come together and dialogue about sustainability.

The United Nations describes sustainability as "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development is a convergence between the three pillars of economic justice, social equity, and environmental protection, also known as the Triple Bottom Line.

A common misconception is that sustainability relates only to environmental issues; we are hoping that conference attendees will see that all fields of study – from psychology to business – play a significant role in sustainability's 3 pillars. The conference sessions feature local, national and internationally acclaimed speakers from all aspects of sustainability, while the Business Expo provides an opportunity for the campus community to converse directly with dozens of sustainable businesses that seek to solve – rather than cause – social, environmental, and economic problems.