Institute for Sustainability

Director's Message

Sheila Steinberg

I warmly invite you to join the Institute for Sustainability as we work to build a more connected, resilient, and thriving San Fernando Valley and Southern California region. Our vision is to serve as a trusted convener—bringing together campus and community to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and create meaningful solutions. Through our initiative, Creating a Sustainable San Fernando Valley, we expand sustainability beyond environmental concerns to include cultural diversity, community strengths, traditional ecological knowledge, and local economic vitality. We believe communities hold deep knowledge about their own needs and assets, and our role is to help bridge knowledge into action.

Our work focuses on building resilience to wildfire, extreme heat, and climate change while supporting strong local economies. By partnering with local businesses and organizations, we create hands-on opportunities that connect learning to real-world impact. We invite you to collaborate and help shape this growing movement as we build trust, advance sustainability, and create lasting regional impact.

CSUN Institute for Sustainability

CSUN Institute for Sustainability with Dean Searcy, Congressman Whitesides, Director Sheila Steinberg and Lead Sustainability Specialist Sarah Johnson pictured here at the December 8, 2025 Wildfire Symposium.

• At California State University, Northridge (CSUN), sustainability is a core value shared across our campus. Through research, education, and campus-wide engagement, CSUN advances solutions that support a sustainable future for both our university community and the San Fernando Valley.
• The university ranked #1 in Buildings and Grounds, tied for #6 in Research, and #4 among Master’s Institutions, reflecting the collective efforts of students, faculty, and staff to integrate sustainability into every aspect of campus life. CSUN was recently listed on Princeton Review’s 2026 Green Guide to Colleges.
• Guided by our 2023 Road Map to Sustainability , CSUN’s bold initiatives cover ten key areas, bringing together students, faculty, and staff to lead in education, outreach, and operational changes.
• At CSUN, sustainability means action, innovation, and community impact. In 2025, CSUN recently received a gold rating in the AASHE STARS Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) with an impressive score of 80.73, making it the top-ranked campus in the entire California State University system.
• We recently launched Creating a Sustainable San Fernando Valley, an initiative that highlights stories of local people, places, and cultures while advancing workforce development, local knowledge, and community empowerment through data.