[PRESS RELEASE] Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies Celebrates 25th Anniversary

POMONA, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2019) – The Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies, the Cal State University system’s first carbon-neutral facility, is celebrating its legacy and that of founding director John T. Lyle with a series of sustainability-themed public events throughout October.

Since 1994, the Center is one of the places at Cal Poly Pomona where faculty, students and experts have found common ground through a singular mission: to design and advocate for a sustainable future for all. Located on 16 acres adjacent to the main campus, the Center's academic and community initiatives bring together diverse groups of scholars, policymakers and activists. As national and global discussions intensify over climate change, environmental stewardship and social justice, the Center has responded to these issues through its teaching, research and outreach. In 2017, the American Society of Landscape Architects presented the Center with the Community Service Award, the highest national honor given to an organization.

On Oct. 11 anniversary festivities begin with an experts’ panel on Oct. 11 at the Lyle Center Commons featuring some of the country’s leading voices in design and sustainability:

• Edward Mazria, FAIA, Hon. FRAIC, an internationally lauded architect and founder of Architecture 2030, a research organization dedicated to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse emissions;
• David Hertz, FAIA, whose eponymous practice specializes in green architecture and design; and
• Debra Guenther, FASLA, a landscape architect and partner at Mithun who is nationally recognized for her leadership on green infrastructure and ecosystem service issues.

The panel, which runs from 3-5 p.m., will be moderated by Andrew Wilcox, professor and chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, named among the “Top 25 Most Admired Educators in Architecture, Interiors, and Landscape Architecture” by DesignIntelligence.

The panel will be immediately followed by a 5 p.m. sunset reception. Other anniversary events include: 

Oct. 15, 6-8 p.m. Lecture/Book Signing: “Foraging Southern California: 118 Nutritious, Tasty and Abundant Foods” with land management expert and regenerative studies lecturer Douglas Kent. His latest book is a field guide for beginner- and intermediate-level foragers, introducing them to wild edibles from berries and fruits, seeds and roots, to aquatic options like kelp and crayfish. The lecture will take place in the Lyle Center Commons in Building 209.

Oct. 17, 5-7 p.m. Opening reception for “John T. Lyle and the Future of Regenerative Design,” an exhibition at the Don B. Huntley Gallery in the University Library (Building 15, Room 4435). Curated by his daughter, artist Cybele Lyle, it explores Lyle’s spheres of personal and professional work, and his understanding of the role of landscape architecture as a part of larger regenerative-based living. The opening reception will be preceded by a John T. Lyle exhibit next door (Room 4434) organized by the University Special Collections and Archives, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Learn more about the Lyle Center anniversary program in our News/Events section. To RSVP, visit https://lylecenter25.eventbrite.com