SAN wins Airports Going Green Award

San Diego International Airport (SAN) has won an international award for three innovative programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, offsetting carbon emissions and diverting food waste from landfills.

SAN was one of only eight airports, airlines and individuals worldwide to win an Airports Going Green Award, presented by the Chicago Department of Aviation. The three programs at SAN that were recognized by the award are:

TNC Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program: This program reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transportation network companies (rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft) operating at SAN. It offers incentives for these companies to reduce emissions by using more fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids, the use of alternative fuels, and trip reduction (i.e. carpool and re-match). Each company that meets the established target for emissions reductions receives a discount on the fee they pay for each airport trip. This has resulted in emissions reductions of up to 30 percent by some participating companies.

The Good Traveler: Launched by SAN in 2015, this nonprofit collaboration of airports allows air travelers to purchase carbon offsets that help balance out the environmental impact of their flight. Each $2 purchase offsets 1,000 miles of air travel, with the proceeds going toward projects such as wind farms, wetlands restoration and forestation that help keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Since inception, The Good Traveler program has offset the impact of 135 million miles of air travel.

Food Recovery Program: This program diverts food waste from the landfill and donates edible food to those in need. This is accomplished through an airport-wide composting effort that collected more than 365 tons of food waste in 2017. Additionally, more than 54,000 pounds of food were donated to worthy causes, equaling more than 4,000 meals.

For more information on SAN’s sustainability efforts, visit sustain.san.org.

USD MBA program earns higher Bloomberg ranking

The University of San Diego (USD) MBA is among the top 100 programs in the United States, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. USD’s MBA program leaped an impressive 21 spots from last year, ranking No. 60 in the nation, No. 7 in California, and No. 1 in San Diego by one of the nation’s preeminent business publications.

The USD MBA performed particularly well in entrepreneurship, quality of student learning and networking, ranking No. 32 in the U.S. for entrepreneurship, No. 49 for student learning and No. 51 for networking.

USD’s MBA program offers coursework co-designed with corporate partners to provide the expertise employers are looking for in their executive hires. The program also offers small class sizes, consulting projects with major organizations around the world and a cohort format to help students make lifelong professional and personal connections with faculty and classmates.

“This recognition is a tribute to the success of our graduates and the student centric passion of our faculty and staff,” said USD School of Business Dean Jaime Gomez in a press release. “Our robust learning environment includes small classes, cutting-edge curriculum, global networking opportunities, entrepreneurship training and support, and multiple international learning opportunities; it definitely catapults our graduates for sustained success in the business world.”

The USD full-time MBA program can be completed in 17 or 22 months. For more information, visit sandiego.edu/mba.

Qualcomm celebrates STEM Day

Qualcomm Incorporated celebrated National STEM Day on Nov. 8 by reaffirming the company’s commitment to its corporate responsibility initiatives that spark young people’s passion for science, technology, engineering and math, and will inspire the next generation of inventors to transform industries and enrich people’s lives.

“Qualcomm, a company of engineers who are inventing transformational mobile technologies such as 5G, understands the importance of STEM,” stated Qualcomm senior vice president of engineering Susie Armstrong in a press release. “In the future, most careers will require some level of STEM knowledge and skill. Our ongoing commitment to investing in STEM initiatives are aimed at growing an inclusive, diverse future workforce that is needed to support the ability to continue to innovate.”

The STEM programs Qualcomm invests in include:

FIRST: Over the past three years, teams competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge program use Qualcomm Snapdragon technology in the control system for their robots, providing more than 180,000 students in more than 25 countries hands-on experience with Qualcomm technology. Qualcomm employees also provide thousands of volunteer hours to support the FIRST organization and student teams worldwide.

Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab: This program inspires the next generation of inventors by engaging students in exploring STEM and engineering careers, and using hands-on microelectronics and programming to design an Internet of Things-themed robotic creation.

Qualcomm Wireless Reach Initiative: This program brings advanced wireless technologies to underserved communities globally. There are 45 programs in 17 countries, benefiting more than 280,000 people.

As part of the USS Midway’s Education Programs, Qualcomm recently became the presenting sponsor of the Engineering Basics program for middle school students. The new program, which launched last year, has reached 29 schools throughout San Diego County and impacted more than 1,000 middle school students.

The Fleet Science Center: Qualcomm’s 18-year support of the Fleet has enabled programs such as 52 Weeks of Science to thrive in underrepresented communities like Barrio Logan, where more than 10,000 children and adults have participated in neighborhood science events.

To learn more about Qualcomm’s support of STEM and invention, visit qualcomm.com/weinvent/stem.

University of Redlands launches Purposeful Leadership Initiative

To identify and positively impact today’s leadership styles, skills, and approaches, the University of Redlands has launched the Purposeful Leadership Initiative. Integrating concepts and models from across disciplines — from management to ethics and philosophy to the social sciences — the new initiative includes educational offerings, research, and community outreach.

“Purposeful leadership addresses the critical role leaders play in ensuring that organizations deliver value to customers in an effective, data-driven, meaningful, ethical, and socially responsible manner,” said Thomas Horan, Senecal Endowed Dean of the School of Business, which is leading the University-wide effort. “The many offerings of this initiative will prepare students and professionals with the skillset necessary to be effective within their organization in a manner that makes a positive difference to their employees, customers, and the world in which they operate.”

A key element of the new initiative is the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership degree program (MSOL), which addresses the needs and challenges of organizational leaders. The MSOL highlights the importance of purposeful leadership and how it is implemented at the individual, group, organizational, and societal level.

The Purposeful Leadership Initiative also included a leadership speaker series, which debuted this fall with talks by former Apple executive Jay Elliot, “Trust Factor” author Paul Zak, and Steve Kaufer, CEO of Trip Advisor.

Other projects and partnerships in development include an executive certificate program, research on leadership issues associated with the effective and ethical management of people and organizations, and the Leaders in Community Awards, which recognize effective and ethical leadership.

The Purposeful Leadership Initiative, which builds on the 2006 endowment of the newly re-named Banta Center for Ethical and Purposeful Leadership at the University of Redlands, was made possible by support from the Banta family of Redlands alumni. Other alumni have joined the Bantas in pledging support for the initiative as well.