About AESS
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is an independent faculty-and-student-based professional association in higher education, designed to serve the needs of environmental scholars and scientists who value interdisciplinary approaches to research, teaching, and problem-solving. Founded in 2008, the Association seeks to provide its members with the latest environmental information and tools to create better courses, strengthen research, develop more satisfying careers, harness the power of a collective voice for the profession, and enjoy each other’s company at national and regional meetings.
A major aim of AESS is to encourage interdisciplinary understanding of environmental science, policy, management, ethics, history, and all of the other vital contributions of traditional disciplines. From its beginning, the Association has been envisioned as a community of environmental scholars and scientists, not a confederation of disciplines. Fundamental to its members’ embrace of higher education is the notion that broad advances in environmental knowledge require disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches to research and learning.
AESS is committed to achieving its goals by
- enlarging the capacity for cross-campus collaboration, mentoring, and shared scholarship;
- creating a collegial process for networking, sharing ideas, publishing, and promoting both disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs and conferences;
- developing model curricula and professional standards, and guidelines
- supporting the career development of student and faculty members;
- providing professional advice and public outreach on important matters of environmental science, policy, and management.
Vision
AESS provides identity, collective voice and continuing education for individuals in higher education engaged in environmental research, teaching, problem solving, and service to society. The Association promotes the development of these collective concerns by
- enlarging the capacity for cross-campus collaboration, mentoring, and shared scholarship;
- creating a collegial process for networking, sharing ideas, publishing, and promoting interdisciplinary programs and conferences;
- developing professional standards and guidelines for environmental scholars and scientists;
- supporting the career development of students and faculty members;
- promoting research, discussion, and outreach that expand public knowledge about the environment and improve environmental science, policy, and management.
AESS is envisioned as a community of environmental scholars and scientists, rather than a confederation of disciplines. Fundamental to this vision is a conviction that broad advances in environmental knowledge require disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches to research and learning.
AESS looks forward to working with existing disciplinary associations and with organizations such as the National Council for Science and Environment, the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, and others engaged in the vital task of linking academia, government, business, and the public on matters of environmental sustainability.
The Association employs a variety of media and venues to carry out this mission, including this web site (www.aessonline.org), professional newsletter, a flagship journal, and national conferences. Additional information about these communication channels are available on the this website.
Participate in the development of a society that will help you make vital connections – professional connections, disciplinary connections, connections between theory and practice, and connections between complex adaptive natural systems and even more complex human social systems.
Board
The Board shall consist of the Officers (as defined below) and six other directors elected at large by the members of the Corporation pursuant to the procedures set forth in Article VII of these Bylaws (the “Non-Officer Directors”). At all times, at least one director shall be a student member of the Corporation. All directors shall be members in good standing of the Corporation.
Board Meeting Notes are available to members.
The Board is made up of four officers:
- President (2 year term)
- President-elect (2 year term, then 2 years as president)
- Secretary (3 year term)
- Treasurer (3 year term)
For full description of duties and powers, review the AESS Bylaws.
Committees
AESS members are encouraged to contribute actively to the organization’s development through participation in important AESS committees which presently include:
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- Awards – to recognize and honor the contributions of environmental leaders in higher education and beyond
- Diversity – to build partnerships, increase access and inclusion and support underrepresented environmental professionals and academics, marginalized communities and others who have traditionally been silenced in the field of ESS
- Membership – to expand and diversify the membership base
- Nominations – to recruit and nominate candidates for elective offices in AESS
- Professional Development – to improve the quality and institutional
- Program – to oversee development of the program for the annual meeting
- Publications – to supervise publication of the official journal and other professional publications of AESS
- Site Arrangements – to solicit proposals for hosting the annual meeting and other official meetings, and to coordinate local arrangements and services
Diversity
AESS recognizes the importance of promoting and recognizing multiple forms of diversity within the organization and in the field of environmental studies and sciences more broadly. Diversity includes, but is not limited to: abilities, academic discipline, age, career, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression, geographic location, language, nationality, political beliefs, position within organization, race, religion, sexual orientation, sex, and/or socio-economic status. It is the position of AESS that diverse groups of people with varied perspectives are critical to solving complex problems, such as the ‘wicked’ socio-ecological problems that confront society. Fostering and maintaining diversity requires consistent outreach to groups traditionally marginalized by the academy, as well as growth within the organization to ensure it meets the needs of all members.
AESS currently strives to incorporate diverse perspectives into the organization and the field of environmental studies and sciences through:
- The creation of a Diversity Committee dedicated to building partnerships and conducting outreach; increasing access and inclusion; and supporting underrepresented environmental professionals and academics, marginalized communities, and others whose accomplishments, contributions, and voices have traditionally been silenced in the fields of environmental education, studies, and sciences
- The development of annual conference programs that include diverse perspectives, theories, and voices from multiple disciplines in discussion symposia, panel presentations, roundtable discussions, and keynote talks
- The AESS Circle of Fellows mentoring program, which provides support for graduate students and early career scholars
Future work includes:
- Establishing a travel grant program for graduate students and early career scholars
- Formally investigating and implementing ways in which AESS can better support underrepresented environmental professionals and academics, marginalized communities, and others whose accomplishments, contributions, and voices have traditionally been silenced in the fields of environmental education, studies, and sciences
AESS Diversity Committee Charter
Please contact AESS if you have any questions or suggestions, or are interested in joining the Diversity Committee.
