Marketing and Sustainability: An Unexpected Duo

 

If you asked me a year ago what sustainability looked like, I would have said something about recycling and trees. That is definitely a part of it, but my time at the Shi Institute has showed me what sustainability really mean. Now I see it in the dozens of photos I have taken on my camera. My name is Riya Lala and I am the Communications and Outreach Fellow this fall. This semester, I got to continue the work that I began over the summer. As the Communications and Outreach Fellow, I promote all the incredible work that the Shi Institute does! My work ranges from talking to incoming students whilst tabling, designing promotional materials like stickers and posters, taking photos at events, posting about the Fellows’ work on Instagram, and more.

 

Some highlights from this semester include working with Mr. Jim, designing research posters, and participating in Party for the Planet. This semester I collaborated with Jim Benes, Furman’s Custodial Manager, on a promotional campaign for recycling on campus. Mr. Jim took me on a tour of campus and showed me where all the different recycling stations on campus are. We also filmed a video for the Shi Institute Instagram. I gave Mr. Jim a few different materials, and in the video, he explains whether they are trash or recycling. Collaborating with others on campus is always a fun and effective way to promote sustainability!

 

Another example of collaboration is the research posters (see above) I got to design for Mike Winiski, Director of the Center for Applied Sustainability Research, for Party for the Planet. I got to take the incredible research the Shi Applied Research team has done on gentrification, transportation, and health, and make them into digestible posters for Furman students. I found it challenging to narrow down the extensive and important research into bullet points for aposter, but it was incredibly rewarding in the end! The actual Party for the Planet event was also a lot of fun because I got to incorporate my outside interests into this event. Outside of class and work, I manage the Furman University Radio Station. The radio got to table at Party for the Planet, and helped coordinate a performance by the Furman band “College Boyfriend.” Combining sustainability and music allowed me to connect with students and showcase how Shi’s initiatives intersect with campus culture.

 

If you would like to check out some of my work from this past semester, follow @shi_institute_furman on Instagram. And stay tuned for the recycling video with Mr. Jim!