Public affairs student, who is also studying international commerce at Valparaiso University, was selected as a member of the SustainUs youth delegation 
The Indiana University Northwest School of Public and Environmental Affairs will be represented at the United Nations’ New York City headquarters in May when Merrillville resident and graduate student Lauren Riga joins a student delegation at the 18th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Riga was selected from a nationwide pool of applicants for a spot on the Agents of Change delegation sponsored by the advocacy organization SustainUs: U.S. Youth for Sustainable Development.
“I have been working in government and environmental affairs since 2004,” said Riga, who earned her undergraduate degree in political science and communication from Florida’s Rollins College. She attended Andrean High School for two years before transferring to Lake Forest Academy in Illinois, where she graduated high school.
In order to qualify for the SustainUs Agents of Change delegation, applicants had to demonstrate a serious commitment to the aims and values of sustainable development and possess academic or advocacy experience working in the field.
“In 2008-09, I worked for The Nature Conservancy as their Great Lakes Project Coordinator, where I took part in collaborative efforts and strategic planning throughout the Great Lakes region and Canada,” Riga said. “I worked on strategies related to climate-change adaptation, land-use planning, policy, restoration, invasive species, and ecosystem services. Because of my academic and career interests, I was forwarded information for this SustainUs opportunity by Prof. Ellen Szarleta, who teaches environmental management at IU Northwest.”
Riga’s specific area of focus for the delegation will be to develop a policy model for consensus building and collaborative policymaking for the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption Patterns and Marrakech Process, with specific emphasis on environmental dispute resolution to build interagency consensus though focused communication techniques.
As part of this task, she will work with government delegates, draft policy documents, and present a case study on the floor of the UN.
“I think Lauren’s selection and participation in this delegation is an excellent example of how IU Northwest and SPEA are embracing sustainability and becoming socially and environmentally conscious stewards of our local and global community,” said Assistant Professor Ellen Szarleta, J.D., Ph.D. “Lauren will join other students from top schools across the country, including Duke and MIT. It’s a very exciting opportunity for her.”
Riga is pursuing her Master of Public Affairs degree at IU Northwest while also studying for her Master of Science in International Commerce and Policy at Valparaiso University. She said the SustainUs project complements her other grad research, which has focused on environmental dispute resolution techniques to develop environmental policy.
“I am interested in interdisciplinary collaboration to shape well-informed policymaking,” Riga explained. “Climate change, green economics, and an international agreement on sustainable development and emission reduction are just a few of the many pressing issues related to environmental policymaking and sustainable development.”
Riga said that more opportunities for such hands-on involvement in these important issues are out there for students who wish to pursue them.
“My advice is to be proactive,” she said. “Find your areas of interest, see what organizations, events, or internships are out there, and get involved.
“Real experience is just as valuable as classroom experience,” Riga emphasized. “Express interest to your professors about wanting to have experiences outside the classroom. I feel extremely lucky to have Dr. Szarleta as a professor, because she is always looking for opportunities for her students.”