Elon announces 2019-20 Sustainability Faculty Scholars

Eight faculty members have been named Sustainability Faculty Scholars for the 2019-20 academic year, the Office of Sustainability announced Monday.

The Sustainability Faculty Scholars program identifies, supports and recognizes faculty who are interested in incorporating or enhancing a focus on sustainable principles and practices in their courses. Cohorts typically consist of eight faculty members from a wide range of disciplines.

The cohort of 2019-20 Sustainability Faculty Scholars includes:

• Lauren Guilmette, assistant professor of philosophy;
• Waseem Kasim Bin-Kasim, assistant professor of history;
• Elena Kennedy, assistant professor of entrepreneurship;
• Simon Higgins, assistant professor of exercise science;
• Jessica Merricks, assistant professor of biology;
• Robert Perdue, assistant professor of sociology;
• David Vandermast, associate professor of biology; and
• Vanessa Zboreak, assistant professor of law

“We saw an overwhelming response from across disciplines and schools in this application cycle,” said Samantha DiRosa, faculty fellow for sustainability and associate professor of art and environmental studies. “And we are thrilled to have a cohort of faculty representing the humanities, social sciences and physical sciences, as it truly requires a multi-disciplinary effort to work on the daunting and complex environmental problems we presently face.”

During the application process, faculty scholars outline a course they would like to create or modify to include a sustainability component. Past examples of sustainability components in these courses have included paperless classes, identifying connections between sustainability and art, and marketing the importance of sustainability to the campus community. Once admitted into the scholars program, faculty members receive support to develop their courses.

The 2019-20 group represents the 12th cohort of Sustainability Faculty Scholars. Click here to learn about the program’s past scholars.