Integrating Programmatic Expertise from across the US and Canada to Model and Guide Leadership Training for Graduate Students in Sustainability

Nicole Motzer, Aleta Rudeen Weller, K Curran, Simon Donner, Ronald J. Heustis, Cathy Jordan, Margaret Krebs, Lydia Olandar, Kirsten Rowell, Linda Silka, Diana H. Wall and Abigail York
Additional contact information
Nicole Motzer: National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA
Aleta Rudeen Weller: School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
K Curran: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC 20004, USA
Simon Donner: Department of Geography, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
Ronald J. Heustis: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, and Office of Graduate Education, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Cathy Jordan: Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
Margaret Krebs: Earth Leadership Program, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Lydia Olandar: Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
Kirsten Rowell: Environmental Studies and Research and Innovation Office, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Linda Silka: Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and School of Economics, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
Diana H. Wall: School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Abigail York: School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-20

Abstract: It is critical that future sustainability leaders possess the skills and aptitudes needed to tackle increasingly ‘wicked’ challenges. While much has been done to identify this need, inadequate Leadership Training for graduate students in Sustainability (LTS) continues to plague even the most highly-resourced institutions. Collectively, the authors of this paper represent the small yet growing number of LTS programs across the United States and Canada working to close this training gap. In this paper, we describe the integrative approach we took to synthesize our collective knowledge of LTS with our diverse programmatic experiences and, ultimately, translate that work into concrete guidance for LTS implementation and design. We present a framework for the suite of key LTS aptitudes and skills yielded by our collaborative approach, and ground these recommendations in clear, real-world examples. We apply our framework to the creation of an open-access curricular database rich with training details, and link this database to an interactive network map focused on sharing programmatic designs. Together, our process and products transform many disparate components into a more comprehensive and accessible understanding of what we as LTS professionals do, with a view to helping others who are looking to do the same for the next generation of sustainability leaders.

Keywords: sustainability; leadership; graduate program; higher education; aptitudes; skills; interdisciplinary; training (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/8950/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/8950/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:8950-:d:611945

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().