Our response to the climate crisis has entered a new understanding—there is no longer a false sense of a climate haven. As institutions of higher education have the potential to both model practices and educate students on ways to address climate change, this panel explores the role of higher education in taking on this responsibility. What can institutions of higher education do to most effectively influence a societal shift and make taking action on climate change a central part of their mission?
Please join us for a discussion with this expert panel of educators, writers, and practitioners who are leading the way in thinking about how our educational system can better serve and motivate the next cohort of climate professionals. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Keith McDade, Director of Warren Wilson College’s Master of Science in Applied Climate Studies Program.
“Climate Action Now” is Warren Wilson College’s new campus-wide initiative that integrates climate action into all aspects of the College’s experiential learning mission—academics, work learning, and community engagement. The world needs a new educational model that provides students with the skills that enable them to be inspired by the possibilities of action rather than defeated by the challenges posed by climate change. As described by President Damián Fernández, “Global climate change is a transdisciplinary problem—the most pressing one we are confronting. It requires natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences to address its multiple ramifications. It impacts the arts as an expression of the human experience, and creatives are finding ways to represent what they are witnessing and deepen understanding.”
This is a virtual event. You can join via Google Meet here: https://meet.google.com/tvy-jtjo-ayv
Panelists:
Bill Throop, Ph.D.
Dr. Bill Throop is emeritus professor of philosophy and environmental studies at Green Mountain College. He chaired the environmental studies program for 10 years and was Green Mountain’s provost for 12 years, during which he led the development of the college’s national reputation for sustainability education. He served on the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and was elected chair of the board for his last two years. Bill earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Brown University, where he specialized in philosophy of science. He has published widely in professional journals, and he edited the first book on philosophical issues in ecological restoration. He also co-edited Reason and Culture, an introductory philosophy text. His new book, Flourishing in the Age of Climate Change, was recently published by Cornell University Press (Oct. 2024).
Debra Rowe, Ph.D.
Dr. Debra Rowe is the President of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development. She is also co-founder of the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium, founder/facilitator of the Disciplinary Associations’ Network for Sustainability, and Senior Advisor to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Dr. Rowe chaired the Technical Advisory Group and the Green Jobs Policy Community of Action for the American Association of Community Colleges. She co-created the Sustainability Education and Economic Development Center, the Projects That Matter platform, and the Beyond Doom and Gloom: Engage in Climate Solutions initiative. She is often a keynote speaker at national and international education conferences. She is the author or editor of numerous publications, including the newly released encyclopedia, Achieving Sustainability: Vision, Principles and Practices. Dr. Rowe earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and received two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Jenny Dissen
Jenny Dissen is the Engagement and Partnerships lead at the NC Institute for Climate Studies, a research institute within the NC State University Office of Research and Innovation. Her work as part of the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies involves programs and projects enabling innovative use, access and application of NOAA environmental data. As part of the NOAA Big Data Program engagement activities, she works with NOAA and cloud service partners AWS/ASDI, Microsoft Azure, and Google Public Cloud to democratize access and use of NOAA data. She is part of the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Information Services team, and also program lead for the U.S. Department of State NOAA U.S.-India Partnership for Climate Resilience. Other recent engagement work involved contributing to the State of North Carolina’s Climate Science Report and the NC Risk and Resiliency Plan.
Keith McDade, Ph.D.
Dr. Keith McDade is the Director of the new MS in Applied Climate Studies program at Warren Wilson College, a low-residency graduate program that combines cutting-edge on-site experience, experimentation, and demonstrations with on-line and virtual work in climate science, climate data analysis, data visualization, communication, climate justice, policy, planning, management, decision-making, and leadership. Keith has lived in Asheville for the past twelve years designing and running a Sustainability Studies program and has been actively involved in local and global community efforts on climate and sustainability-related concerns for decades.