Center Milestones

Digging Team — The Center's first interdisciplinary faculty team (L-R): Sharon Stine (environmental studies), Ron Quinn (biological sciences), Bill Stine (mechanical engineering), John Lyle (landscape architecture), President Bob Suzuki, Victor Wegrzyn (agriculture), Ed Barnes (LandLab)

Below are notable milestones of the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies:

1988: Center for Regenerative Studies (CRS) plan completed.

1991: Kellogg Foundation donates $2.7 million to establish the Center for Regenerative Studies. Bob H. Suzuki, Ph.D., former vice president for academic affairs at CSU Northridge, is appointed president of Cal Poly Pomona.

1994: Construction of the Center is completed. The Center for Regenerative Studies welcomes its first group of 20 resident-students, collectively representing 16 majors. The Center receives the SCE Design for Excellence Award.

1995: Diana Jerkins, Ph.D., professor of horticulture/plant and soil science, becomes director.

1996: The Center joins the College of Environmental Design. Architect Lisa Sanders becomes dean.

1999: The Center is renamed the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies.

2002: Ron Quinn, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences, becomes director.

2003: J. Michael Ortiz, Ph.D., former vice president for academic affairs at Fresno State, is appointed president of Cal Poly Pomona. Landscape architect Karen Hanna becomes dean.

2004: Kyle Brown, Ph.D., professor of landscape architecture, becomes director. The Center introduces its master's in regenerative studies (MSRS) program.

2005: Cal Poly Pomona Green Team is created. The Center receives South Coast AQMD's 17th Annual Clean Air Award; and the City of Los Angeles Model Community Achievement, conferred by the Office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry.

2006: Construction begins on the award-winning Tijuana Prototype House on the Center grounds.

2007: President Ortiz – and by extension Cal Poly Pomona – becomes a charter signatory of the Presidents Climate Commitment.

2008: Cal Poly Pomona adopts Environmental Sustainability core value.

2009: Former Los Angeles City Council member Michael Woo becomes dean. The Center completes the Cal Poly Pomona Climate Action Plan.

2011: The Center organizes the Waste to Energy Summit; U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-38) gives keynote speech. The Center receives the Environmental Leadership Award from the Environmental Committee of the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce; and the 2011-12 Community Garden Service Award from Pomona Unified School District.

2012: Regenerative Communities Initiative established.

2015: Soraya M. Coley, Ph.D., former provost and vice president for academic affairs at CSU Bakersfield, is appointed president of Cal Poly Pomona.

2017: The American Society of Landscape Architects presents the Center with Community Service Award, the highest national honor given to an organization. Pablo La Roche, Ph.D., professor of architecture, is appointed interim director. The Lyle family donates John T. Lyle's works (drawings, manuscripts, art, and visual research materials) to establish the digital John T. Lyle Archive.

2019: The Center celebrates it 25th anniversary. View the program.

2030: Cal Poly Pomona Climate Action Plan commits the university to carbon neutrality by 2030 through a combination of local and off-site actions.