How Universities Can Support Interdisciplinary Careers for Climate and Sustainability Progress
Recognizing the complex dimensions of climate and sustainability challenges, many universities and research centers and some funders have been nurturing interdisciplinary approaches to relevant research. But much more needs to be done to support the career development of young sustainability scientists and scholars whose work requires teams and public outreach.
In this special Sustain What conversation, Alex Halliday, the director of the Earth Institute and a leader of work launching the Columbia Climate School, engages in a brainstorming conversation with representatives of a team of 2019 Earth Institute postdoctoral fellows who wrote a call to action published in January in Nature Sustainability. Read that commentary here: “Supporting interdisciplinary careers for sustainability.”
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-00679-y
The authors are J. Nicolas Hernandez-Aguilera (Nico), Weston Anderson, Allison L. Bridges, M. Pilar Fernandez, Winslow D. Hansen, Megan L. Maurer, Elisabeth K. Ilboudo Nébié and Andy Stock.
The Sustain What event features a special appearance by Rita Colwell, the first woman to direct the National Science Foundation and a much-lauded researcher at the interface of aquatic ecology and human health. Here's more on Colwell, who is also a Distinguished University Professor at both the University of Maryland at College Park and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: http://j.mp/RitaColwell
Also joining the discussion is Samantha Ostrowski, Earth Institute associate director for graduate programs in sustainability management and science, who played a facilitating role for the postdocs who crafted this call to action.
The goal of this event is to generate sustained solution-focused dialogues and networking among emerging scholars, scientists, faculty and staff - at Columbia and elsewhere - to spread insights and test paths to impact.
The panel is hosted by Andy Revkin, the founding director of the Earth Institute Initiative on Communication and Sustainability, as part of the “friendly takeovers” series on the Initiative’s Sustain What webcast.
Other students and faculty are encouraged to organize such discussions. Learn more: http://j.mp/sustainwhatfriendlytakeover
