Pathways to a Sustainable Future

Please join Dean Indy Burke of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President of the Aspen Institute, for a conversation with Yale’s Anthony Leiserowitz and Karen Seto.

Pathways to a Sustainable Future

This event marks the kickoff of the Yale Environmental Dialogue – a new initiative that seeks to inform and influence public debate over how best to address the 21st century “sustainability imperative.” Building on a foundation of fresh thinking, bipartisanship, and analytical rigor, this initiative will offer a set of innovative ideas for progress on land use, energy, pollution control, and natural resources management issues.

Seto, professor of geography and urbanization science, will discuss “Planetary Sustainability in the Urban Century” and Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, will highlight findings from his research on “Building Public and Political Will for Climate Action.” Please see the full abstracts below. 

This kickoff event is the first of a series of conversations Yale will convene across the country in the next several years aiming to infuse environmental policy discussions with new energy, recast foundations, and policy breakthroughs. As part of this initiative, Yale will host a major workshop in New Haven in February 2019 looking at several dozen reform opportunities that might help to drive progress across the full spectrum of sustainability issues.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Doors Open - 5:30 PM

Panel Discussion - 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Reception - 7:30 - 8:30 PM

The Aspen Institute

2300 N Street, NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC 20037

Register here 

Sign-up for email here

Panelists 

Anthony Leiserowitz

Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

“Building Public and Political Will for Climate Action”

Climate change is one of the most daunting challenges of our time. Americans have diverse and sometimes opposing views about global warming, fundamentally shaping the political climate of climate change. Drawing on more than a decade of research, and on the heels of the 2018 election, this talk will describe and explain recent trends in Americans' climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support and behavior, and discuss strategies to build public and political will for climate action.

Karen C. Seto

Frederick C. Hixon Professor of Geography & Urbanization Science at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies 

“Planetary Sustainability in the Urban Century”

The world is rapidly urbanizing. Between now and 2050, the world’s urban population will grow by about 2.5 billion, an addition of about 170,000 people a day. To accommodate (i.e., house, educate, employ, serve, and facilitate) this growing urban population, urban areas are expanding by 20,000 American football fields daily – equal to adding a city the size of Providence, Rhode Island to the globe every day. This talk will discuss the rapid pace of urbanization and its implications for protecting the world’s ecosystems, farmlands, climate, and biodiversity.

Moderator

Elliot Gerson is an Executive Vice President at the Aspen Institute, responsible for its Policy Programs, its Public Programs and its relations with its international partners. The Institute’s more than 30 Policy Programs focus on both domestic and international issues. They provide neutral venues, do nonpartisan analysis, foster candid dialogue among leaders, advocate new policy and promote best practices. The Institute’s public programs – including the Aspen Ideas Festival and many smaller programs across the country and world – open the Institute’s doors to a broader audience and further both its educational goals and its hopes that thought will lead to action. Gerson also administers the US Rhodes Scholarships. He was a Rhodes Scholar, a US Supreme Court clerk, practiced law in government and privately, held executive positions in state and federal government and on a presidential campaign, and was president of start-ups in health care and education, and of two leading national insurance and health-care companies.

Fearless First Day

On November 8th, we will celebrate #FearlessFirst students: students who are the first in their family to attend college. AAP is joining the national initiative launched by the Council for Opportunity in Education and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators to foster a sense of community among the first generation population and change the language and meaning of what it means to be a first generation college student.

We invite faculty and staff who identify as first generation to stop by the Stamp Student Union between 11 am and 3 pm to pick up and wear a pin to highlight the achievements and unique strengths first generation students bring to campus. For those who are not able to attend but want to demonstrate their support for first generation students, please send a message to safoakwa@umd.edu and we will send you a FEARLESS FIRST sticker to display in your office space. We also plan to take a #FearlessFirst photo at noon. Don't miss it!

Funded Research Opportunity

Gund Institute Funded PhD Opportunities

 

The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont (UVM) seeks up to eight exceptional PhD students to start Fall 2019 and conduct interdisciplinary research on global environmental challenges. Application reviews will start January 18.

 

The Gund Institute is a newly expanded campus-wide center for interdisciplinary research, where 150 faculty, global affiliates, post-docs, and graduate students collaborate widely to understand interactions among ecological, social, and economic systems. We explore environmental issues at the interface of four pressing research themes: climate solutions, health and well-being, sustainable agriculture, and resilient communities.

 

CURRENT OFFERS:

 

Gund Institute Research Assistantship: We seek up to three PhD students working on Gund research themes, especially the connections among them. Students will receive up to four years of support at $32,000 per year, plus tuition.

 

Gund Institute Barrett Assistantship: We seek up to two PhD students for a new opportunity provided by the Gund Institute and UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS), supported by the Richard Barrett Foundation. Students will receive up to four years of funding, including an annual stipend of $35,000 and tuition.

 

Leadership for the Ecozoic: We seek up to three PhD students at UVM to pursue mutually-enhancing human-Earth relationships in a global research-to-action partnership with McGill University. Students receive three years of funding, including an annual stipend of $27,000, plus tuition.

 

All students receive health insurance. Conference and research funds are also available.

 

For full details, explore Gund PhD opportunities online (how to apply, qualifications, etc).

 

The Gund Institute catalyzes environmental research, develops real-world solutions to global issues, and connects UVM with leaders in government, business and beyond. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive environment where diverse voices and perspectives are active and welcome.

Lake Roland Ranger Internship

Baltimore County Recreation & Parks is looking for a student intern who is pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies, Biology, Recreation & Parks, Park Management, Conservation, Environmental Planning, History, Education, or a related field. Interns will handle and provide care for resident animals, assist in planning/executing educational programs, and work with Rangers and Naturalists to complete park/trail maintenance projects.

Interns are not paid, but they will work with universities to provide course/internship credit for the student(s). 

Interested candidates should send their resume, cover letter, and three references to me at khilton@baltimorecountymd.gov as soon as possible.

ENSP306 - Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Methods for Environmental Studies

This spring, ENSP is offering a pilot course that can satisfy their Applied Science and Policy requirement for ENSP and be used a GIS supporting course.

ENSP306 - Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Methods for Environmental Studies

An introduction to research design and methods, with an in-depth focus on qualitative research methods and application to environmental studies. Topics include: writing an appropriate research question, identifying relevant methods, submitting a proposal to the Institutional Review Board, choosing appropriate sampling approaches, conducting interviews, focus groups, ethnographies, analyzing textual data, and presenting qualitative results. 

ARS Internship

The Agriculture Research Service located in Beltsville is offering a paid full-time summer internship to an undergraduate student who is interested in assisting with field work on soil moisture. 

For more information or to apply, email Michael.Cosh@ars.usda.gov 

To learn more about the ARS, click here

AAG Annual Meeting - Call for Participation

Call for Participation: 

SECOND #aagDC session on the Undergraduate Geography Experience

Student and Faculty presenters sought for AAG 2019 Annual Meeting sessions focused on Undergraduate Geography Education

The Undergraduate Geography Experience: Students and Professors Share their Perspectives 

Lightning Paper Session Sponsored by the Undergraduate Student Affinity Group, Community College Affinity Group, and Geography Education Specialty Group

Curious as to how your geography undergrad program and department compares to others? How your experience is similar (or not) to your fellow undergrad geography colleagues across the country (or in other parts of the world)? Consider presenting about your school and department in this lightning paper session. We are seeking both undergraduate geographers and geography faculty to share your experience and perspective about your home geography departments and programs as a way to understand, compare, and contrast the undergraduate geography experience.

Undergraduates are the fastest growing membership category of the American Association of Geographers with 54% growth from 2016 to 2017 and over 500 undergraduate students attending the 2018 AAG Annual Meeting. Undergraduate geographers are the next generation to lead our discipline in not only academia, but in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Understanding the undergraduate geography experience and how it varies between different types of programs can provide insight into: 1) how departments can adapt and evolve to recruit and retain undergraduate majors, 2) how students currently engage or wish to engage with their geography departments and programs, 3) the post-secondary training and experiences currently offered to young geographers, and 4) how and why undergraduate geographers choose whether or not to pursue graduate study in the discipline. In this session, both professors and undergraduates will give brief presentations about their undergraduate geography program experience from their perspectives as educators and students in different university geography programs.

Presenters will be provided with a series of questions to help guide the content for their presentations (as well as guidelines to help draft their abstracts). Presentations will be followed by a group discussion with the goal of sharing ideas to improve the undergraduate geography experience, increase undergraduate geography student recruitment and retention, and promote networking among undergraduates as well as between undergraduates and professors.

Undergraduate Geographers - We especially want to hear and learn from you! If you haven't made a conference presentation before, consider this a great opportunity to give a brief presentation on something you are already very familiar with - your own program and department! This will be an engaging and interesting session (as well as a very friendly one!) and we would love for you to be a part of it.

Faculty - Come share your perspective and learn from what other departments are doing. Our hope is that all participants will glean some information and ideas to continue to improve undergraduate geography education.

Contact Candice Luebbering (cluebbering@aag.org) for more information and/or read past the session hyperlink below for more information on how to craft and submit your abstract to this session (abstracts are due November 8th!).

aag.secure-abstracts.com/AAG%20Annual%20Meeting%202019/...

If you are interested in presenting in our Undergraduate Geography Experience sessions at the 2019 AAG Annual Meeting, submit an abstract by November 8th (though the sooner the better) following the guidelines and information below. If you have any questions, contact me at cluebbering@aag.org. 

Your Lightning Paper Title: The Undergraduate Geography Experience at <INSERT SCHOOL NAME> <note 'Student Perspective' or 'Faculty Perspective'> 

Your 250 word abstract: Given that this session is quite different from other paper sessions, the abstracts will be different as well. The goal for this abstract is to provide context to the undergraduate geography program perspective you will be providing. Please introduce and describe the program you will be talking about and your role in it - include the following:

• Size of your school (undergrad enrollment estimate)
• Location of your school (city/state/country)
• # of undergraduate students in your program/department (approximate number)
• # of faculty in your undergraduate program/department (approximate number)
• Degrees, Majors/Minors, Certificates available for undergraduates in your program
• Your role:
• If a student, state what year/place in the program and your particular area of emphasis or track within geography (if applicable)
• If faculty/staff, state what undergraduate courses you teach, and/or other relevant undergraduate program roles like student advising, student group leadership, etc.
• Any other information to help describe / provide context for your program, your role/experience and/or particular topics you will discuss
• And finally, why you are interested in this session / what you would like to learn from it

Upon submitting your abstract, please forward your abstract submission confirmation to cluebbering@aag.org to be added to the session. Make sure it is for a Lightning Paper, not just a regular Paper. The number of presenters will help determine the length of time for each presentation, but presentations will be 5 minutes at a minimum. We will follow up with more information as the sessions develop.