Loyola University Chicago Launches Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Certificate Program for Corporate Industry Leaders

CHICAGO – June 20, 2023

Loyola University Chicago has launched a certificate program on sustainability built with and for corporate industry leaders that will prepare its graduates to lead where business impact and societal needs align.  

From investor and stakeholder expectations to norms and regulations, the Baumhart Certificate in ESG provides practical approaches and critical insights for accelerating a leader’s career and their organization’s ESG reporting and impact. The certificate’s unique and customizable content across multiple disciplines builds foundational knowledge and skills over the course of 12 months. 

“This certificate program will move the needle on ESG in Chicago and around the country, and will help business deliver on the promise of addressing the needs of its communities,” said Michael Behnam, dean of Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business. “We are grateful to partner with two other Loyola schools to offer this groundbreaking program.” 

Karen Weigert, director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility in the Quinlan School of Business, oversees the certificate program. She previously served as the City of Chicago’s first ever chief sustainability officer.  

“Leaders today face a rapidly changing landscape of challenges and opportunities for their organization’s relationship to society and the environment,” said Weigert. “Through the Baumhart Certificate in ESG, we look forward to advancing careers and ensuring that leaders can deliver and report on their work today, as well as lead their organization’s impact well into the future.” 

Unique curriculum built by leaders
The unique curriculum of this certificate program, which is offered through evening classes, includes two brand-new courses dedicated to ESG and the ability to customize a set of three electives from three different Loyola schools. This collaborative effort of the Quinlan School of Business, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, and School of Environmental Sustainability provides an unprecedented opportunity to delve deep into ESG across multiple disciplines.  

The certificate was designed by Weigert and two leading ESG practitioners: Baumhart Center adjunct faculty members Mamadou-Abou Sarr, CIFD, co-founder, president, and CEO of V-Square Quantitative Management, and Dan Nielsen, managing director of ESG at Riveron. 

“Given the current market environment and the prevailing confusion around the ESG acronym, it’s imperative that we equip the new generation of industry leaders with the necessary knowledge to address misconceptions and bring a quantitative investment practitioner’s perspective to the table,” said Sarr. “As a professional and as a faculty member, I’m committed to contributing to this certificate and offering insights that can help create a more informed investment community.” 

For more information on the Baumhart Certificate in ESG and how to apply, please visit the Loyola website. Courses begin in fall 2023.  

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About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 17,500 students. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens), and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.  

About the Quinlan School of Business
The Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago is home to the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility. Quinlan educates responsible leaders who strengthen the local and global business system. It draws on the resources of a world-class location in the heart of Chicago and on industry-leading faculty to offer leading undergraduate, graduate, and executive education. Quinlan’s highly respected degrees include the Baumhart Scholars MBA for purpose-driven professionals and the one-of-a-kind Next Generation MBA. The school is named for Michael R. Quinlan, a double Loyola alumnus, and former president and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation. Learn more at LUC.edu/Quinlan or find us on LinkedIn, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LoyolaQuinlan.