Get to know Malini Suchak, the new dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability

Malini Suchak, the new dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability, comes to Loyola University Chicago from Canisius University in Buffalo, New York, where she served as a professor and chair of the Department of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation.  

Originally from Buffalo, Suchak completed her master’s degree and PhD in psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, with a focus on animal behavior. In her new role as dean, she looks forward to integrating her interests in animals, the environment, sustainability, and food justice. She is also excited about the opportunity to help grow the School of Environmental Sustainability’s community of outstanding students, faculty, and staff.  

How did your career path lead you to your new role as dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES)?

My background is in ethology, the study of animal behavior. Like a lot of kids, I was interested in animals, and I just never grew out of that interest. Also, I have always been interested in the environment and nature, although not all of my animal work has been directly ecological or environmental in nature. 

For graduate school, I had the opportunity to work with Frans de Waal, a prominent Dutch primatologist. I worked with nonhuman primates—monkeys and chimpanzees. After that, there was a perfect opportunity at Canisius University, in an interdisciplinary department focused on animals and the environment.  

I was there for 12 years, and I eventually became chair of that department where I had the opportunity to support a diverse group of faculty pursuing different career trajectories. At Canisius, I wrote our first three-year sustainability action plan for Laudato Si’ and co-founded our pollinator garden initiative—projects that brought together students, faculty, and staff in meaningful environmental action. 

Based on these experiences, I was excited about the opportunity to come to SES. The role here was appealing because I wanted to shift and center my environmental interests and expertise. As department chair, I found deep satisfaction in supporting faculty and staff in reaching their goals—this role allows me to do that on a larger scale. 

What are you most excited about as the new dean of SES?

There are so many special things here. Everyone I’ve met has been amazing: students are super engaged, and faculty and staff are very talented and committed to sustainability. It’s a wonderful community of folks rallying around common goals. 

I’m also excited about how Loyola integrates the operations side of sustainability with academics. Students here have unparalleled opportunities to apply what they are learning in real-world settings. If you are in a place where you can take action to make a difference, that’s a powerful way to counteract the despair that can come with studying climate and the environment. Students here are diverting food waste from landfills, producing biodiesel fuel, and serving the community. It’s inspiring to see.  

As you adjust to your new role, what are your initial hopes for the school’s future?

SES is in a great place because there are a lot of different directions we could go. I’m eager to work with folks and listen to all the various stakeholders here to create that vision together. 

Personally, I’m committed to ensuring that as many students as possible can access the transformational experiential opportunities we offer. 

I also want to ensure that the faculty and staff can truly shine and that students can enjoy the full benefits of learning from these incredible people.  

How are you liking the transition from Buffalo to Chicago?

I think there are some similarities across the Great Lakes region, and Buffalo is, in many ways, more Midwestern than East Coast. I’m loving the scale of Chicago, the public transit, and especially the lake access—it’s phenomenal. 

What are some activities that you enjoy outside of work?

I’m a community organizer. In Buffalo, I spent the last five years working on consensus-building and policy advocacy in the realm of food justice. I’m interested in how environmental justice, animal welfare, and racial justice come together in the food system. I’m looking for opportunities to get involved with organizations working on those issues in the Chicago area. That is something that is really central to who I am and what I do when I’m not working. 

I love to walk and hike and I’m excited to explore the lakefront and Forest Preserves. I also like to garden and have a mischievous cat named Murray.  

Read more stories from the School of Environmental Sustainability.