Luther College’s Jim Martin-Schramm named director of Center for Sustainable Communities

March 6, 2019

Jim Martin-Schramm, Luther College professor of religion, has been announced as the new director of the Center for Sustainable Communities. He serves a three-year term as director beginning spring semester of the 2018-2019 academic year.

Martin-Schramm is widely published with a focus on ethics and public policy. His latest books include, “Earth Ethics: A Case Method Approach” and a co-edited volume, “Eco-Reformation: Grace and Hope for a Planet in Peril.” He actively participates in Luther’s sustainability programs and serves on the College Wind Energy Project, LLC board.

“I’m honored to be appointed as the second Director of Luther’s Center for Sustainable Communities. I have very big shoes to fill. Jon Jensen did a terrific job while he served in this role over the past six years. As a result, many people on and off-campus view Luther as a leader in the area of sustainability and as a catalyst for change on campus and in the region,” he says.

Martin-Schramm has goals to help the Luther community as well as the CSC program. He says, “As a team, we are putting the final touches on a new three-year strategic plan that will guide the work of the Center during my tenure as the new director. We developed the plan through conversations with students, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders over the course of the past year. Major sections of the plan focus on operational sustainability, applied and integrated learning, campus culture and community resilience. We are excited that some of our initiatives dovetail very well with the college’s new strategic plan.”

Martin-Schramm has been a member of Luther’s religion department since 1993. He holds a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, and a bachelors degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.