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2026 Election Results

June 16, 2026 AESS News Bulletins

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Announces New Board Members

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 15, 2026

For immediate release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is pleased to announce the results of the 2026 election. AESS members participated in the election to select the Society’s next President, members of the Board of Directors, and representatives to the Nominations Committee.

We extend our sincere appreciation to all members who voted, as well as to the candidates who generously offered their time, expertise, and leadership in service to AESS. The strength of our organization depends on the active engagement of members who are willing to help shape the future of environmental studies and sciences.

Please join us in congratulating the newly elected leaders who will help guide AESS in the years ahead.

President-Elect: Kate Meierdiercks

Board-At-Large:

Susan Caplow

Ben Ndayambaje

Mercy Ogunruku (student)

Nominations Committee:

Will Burns

Nagina Tariq (student)

Andrés Urcuqui

Brett Werner

AESS thanks all candidates for their willingness to serve and all members who participated in the election process. Member engagement is essential to advancing the Society’s mission of supporting interdisciplinary environmental scholarship, teaching, and practice.

We look forward to the leadership, vision, and service of these elected individuals as AESS continues to strengthen the environmental studies and sciences community.

The newly elected will officially take office following the close of the annual AESS conference, which is being held virtually Jun 15-16. To find out more about the elected, visit AESS’s election page.

Thank you to the Nominations Committee, who is responsible for recruiting and nominating candidates for elective offices. Learn more about AESS Committees. If you wish to serve on a committee, email support@aessonline.org. All AESS members are welcome to serve!

The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.

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AESS Announces 2026 Award Winners and First Recipient of Newly Named Mid-Career Award

June 15, 2026 AESS News Bulletins

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 15, 2026

For immediate release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to environmental studies and sciences through scholarship, teaching, service, and leadership. The awards honor individuals whose work advances interdisciplinary environmental research and education while strengthening the AESS community.

The 2026 AESS Award recipients are:

  • Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award: Karin Warren
  • Early Career Award: Brie Berry
  • Hassenzahl-Smith Mid-Career Award: Rob Alexander

The Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals whose careers have made a lasting and transformative impact on environmental studies and sciences. This year’s recipient, Karin Warren, is honored for her distinguished career and enduring contributions to the field.

Upon learning of the award, Warren reflected on the role AESS has played throughout her career:

“I remember my excitement many years ago when I discovered AESS. I felt I had finally found a professional organization that fit the interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, and community work that I love to do. That feeling of belonging has deepened over the years since I joined AESS, with every conference I’ve attended, every committee I have served on, every lively conversation I’ve had with other AESS members. I’ve been inspired, bolstered, productively challenged, and invigorated by being a part of AESS. AESS has nurtured me as a scholar, teacher, and community collaborator, and it is my greatest wish to do the same for others. I am profoundly moved and honored to receive the Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award.”

The Early Career Award recognizes exceptional achievement by scholars in the early stages of their careers. Brie Berry is being recognized for her innovative scholarship, commitment to interdisciplinary environmental studies, and growing impact on the field.

Reflecting on the significance of the award, Berry shared:

“AESS has been an important interdisciplinary home for me as an early career scholar in environmental studies, and it’s an immense honor to have been selected to receive the Early Career Award. I’m so grateful for this acknowledgement of my work and want to take a moment to give an enormous thank you to AESS and its members for the mentorship, conferences, publications, and resources that have been so transformative for my career.”

This year also marks the first presentation of the newly renamed Hassenzahl-Smith Mid-Career Award. Formerly known as the AESS Mid-Career Award, the award was renamed in recognition of David Hassenzahl and Kim Smith, whose leadership, scholarship, and service helped shape both the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences and the broader field. The award honors scholars in the middle stages of their careers who have demonstrated excellence in research, teaching, and service.

Rob Alexander is the inaugural recipient of the Hassenzahl-Smith Mid-Career Award, recognized for his significant contributions to environmental studies and sciences and his leadership within the field. Reflecting on the honor, Alexander emphasized the influence of the award’s namesakes on his own professional journey:

“To be named the first recipient of the newly renamed Hassenzahl–Smith Mid-Career Award is especially meaningful to me as Dave and Kim have served as my own mentors, especially in my early years at AESS when I sought to balance my need for personal success with my desire to participate in organizational success. […] These two shining stars gave space for me to be me while challenging me to think deeper while embracing wider. I hope that I can serve as that person for our younger and newer members.”

Award recipients will be recognized during the 2026 AESS Conference.

For more information about AESS awards and programs, visit aessonline.org.

About AESS

The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is an interdisciplinary professional association dedicated to advancing environmental studies and sciences through research, teaching, service, and public engagement. AESS supports a diverse community of scholars, practitioners, students, and educators working to address complex environmental challenges and promote sustainability.

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AESS Renames Mid-Career Award

January 23, 2026 AESS News Bulletins

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Renames Mid-Career Award in Honor of David Hassenzahl and Kim Smith

Washington, DC — January 23, 2026 — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is proud to announce the renaming of its Mid-Career Award as the Hassenzahl–Smith Mid-Career Award, honoring David Hassenzahl and Kim Smith for their extraordinary service, leadership, and lasting contributions to the field of environmental studies and sciences.

The AESS Mid-Career Award recognizes individuals who have made significant scholarly, professional, and service contributions during the middle stages of their careers. Renaming the award reflects AESS’s deep appreciation for Hassenzahl and Smith’s sustained leadership, mentorship, and commitment to advancing interdisciplinary environmental scholarship.

Throughout their careers, Hassenzahl and Smith have been instrumental in strengthening AESS’s mission and community. Hassenzahl is currently Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Interim Dean, College of Agriculture at California State University, Chico. Smith is currently the Curriculum Coordinator for the Program in the Environment at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Their dedication to building inclusive scholarly communities, mentoring emerging leaders, and advancing environmental scholarship has shaped this organization in enduring ways.

This recognition serves not only as a tribute to their individual and collective impact, but also as a lasting symbol of the values that define the AESS community: collaboration, interdisciplinary engagement, and service-driven leadership.

The Hassenzahl–Smith Mid-Career Award will continue to recognize outstanding mid-career leaders whose work reflects sustained excellence in research, policy and activism. The award will be presented annually as part of AESS’s ongoing commitment to celebrating leadership and innovation in the environmental field.

For more information about the Hassenzahl–Smith Mid-Career Award and AESS awards programs, visit aessonline.org/awards.

About AESS
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is a professional society dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research, education, and practice in environmental studies and sciences. AESS brings together scholars, educators, students, and practitioners to address complex environmental challenges through collaboration, innovation, and community engagement.

Main Contact:
Carolyn Anthon
Managing Director
Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences
canthon@aessonline.org

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Letter from the AESS President

August 27, 2025 AESS News Bulletins

August 2025 Letter from the AESS President

Dear AESS Community,

I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a happy end of summer and a smooth start to the new academic year. Like many of you, I’m feeling a mix of emotions—some excitement, some anxiety. Am I ready? Where is my syllabus? And wait… I’m teaching at 8:10 a.m. this year?!?

The past few years have been a wild ride. From navigating the disruptions of COVID to now grappling with the promise and complexity of artificial intelligence, federal administrative changes, higher education has seen its fair share of flux. Through it all, I remain deeply grateful for this work we do. Teaching is a gift, and each year brings new energy, new questions, and new students into our classrooms.

This summer’s AESS 2025 conference in St. Paul, MN, reminded me just how much I value this community. It was not only filled with insightful presentations and workshops—but it was also just fun. The energy, the smiles, the in-person conversations—it was refreshing and inspiring.

One major highlight for me was the strong focus on pedagogy and teaching practice. From sessions on environmental resilience and grassroots organizing to classroom innovations and cross-disciplinary collaborations, the conference was a powerful reminder of our shared commitment to both scholarship and education.

Oh, and the field trips? So good. I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the natural history museum and saw the femur of a massive sauropod. Others went hiking and kayaking—so much joy and connection all around.

Most of all, I appreciated the personal interactions—hearing your stories, your challenges, and your aspirations. As the incoming president, these conversations helped me better understand the needs of the AESS community, and I want to thank all of you who attended and presented. Your contributions made the conference meaningful.

As we ramp up for the new year, I want to extend my best wishes to all of you in the ESS and AESS community. The more I engage with AESS, the more I realize how powerful this network can be. If you’re not yet a member but curious—join us! A single conversation with a colleague can spark new ideas and collaborations.

A few items to keep on your radar:

  1.   AESS 2026 will be fully remote and held around the same time as our usual in-person summer conference. Stay tuned for more details.
  2.   We’re launching our first-ever Workshop Retreat in 2026! This will be a two-day, product-oriented retreat focused on advancing research in environmental studies and science pedagogy. We’re really excited about this new model and hope you’ll consider participating. See below for details!

Thanks again to all the ESS practitioners out there. Here’s to a restful end of summer and a great start to the school year!

Sincerely,
Dave Murphy
President, AESS

Workshop Retreat
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2025 Election Results

June 17, 2025 AESS News Bulletins

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Announces New Board Members

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 18, 2025

For immediate release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s elections. The candidates below were selected by their peers earlier this spring, with the results certified by the AESS Elections committee. 

President-Elect: Breeann Kyte Kirby

Treasurer: Laura Henry-Stone

Board at-large: 

Jacqueline Maximillian

Jacob Park

Corey Denenberg Dehner

Nominations Committee: 

Nirav Patel

The candidates come from wide ranging backgrounds including a molecular biologist and creative writing professor, a natural resource expert, an environmental policy analyst and a sustainable technology innovation specialist. We have individuals joining us from across the United States, from Vermont to California and including the midwest. The newly elected will officially take office following the close of the annual AESS conference, which is being held in St. Paul, MN June 23-25. To find out more about the elected, visit AESS’s election page.

Thank you to the Nominations Committee, who is responsible for recruiting and nominating candidates for elective offices. Learn more about AESS Committees. If you wish to serve on a committee, email support@aessonline.org. All AESS members are welcome to serve!

The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.

https://aessonline.org/2025-election-results/

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AESS Announces 2025 Award Winners

June 16, 2025 AESS News Bulletins

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 16, 2025

For immediate release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) has selected the three recipients of the 2025 AESS Awards to be recognized at an awards luncheon during the AESS Annual Conference, June 23-25. Since 2010, these awards have recognized faculty, scholars and students in Environmental Studies and Sciences at all career stages who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service to the AESS community.

The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.  

2025 Award Recipients

Dr. David Blockstein has been awarded the William R. Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award.  Named for an AESS founder, Dr. William R. Freudenburg, this Award seeks to recognize and advance the spirit of AESS co-founder, the late Professor William R. Freudenburg, who spawned a new generation of environmental professionals and academics who have pursued interdisciplinary research to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. Through this award, AESS honors members of the profession who have also devoted their lives to strengthening our field by mentoring the next generation of environmental scientists and activists. 

An ecologist and conservation biologist, Dr. Blockstein has served throughout his career as a leader in work dedicated to science and the environment. This includes 28 years with the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), serving as its first Executive Director. In 2001, Dr. Blockstein founded the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) – the first professional organization for deans and directors of environmental colleges and programs. In addition, he founded the Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders (CEREL) in 2006. He is also one of the founders of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS).

His work bridges science and policy; Dr. Blockstein has worked on issues as varied as climate change, energy, biodiversity, and sustainability. His career has emphasized increasing minority representation in the sciences, improving decision-making with science, and using digital tools to communicate more broadly about science and the environment.

He has served on committees for scientific and conservation organizations, to name just a few: the American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Chemical Society; American Society of Zoologists; Society for Conservation Biology; American Ornithologists’ Union; University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences; American Bird Conservancy; World Conservation Union (IUCN); Aldo Leopold Foundation; National Foundation for Environmental Education; and the Environmental Education Coalition. He continues his dedication to science, policy, teaching, and advocacy as co-Director of the Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week. AESS is excited to recognize Dr. Blockstein for a lifetime of achievements and continual devotion to supporting the next generation of environmental scholars.

Dr. Jacob Park has been recognized with the AESS Mid-Career Award. This Award honors individuals who are mid-career and have made significant contributions to environmental studies or environmental sciences for at least ten years. Through this award, AESS recognizes outstanding accomplishments and sustained excellence in research, policy, activism, or a combination of these areas. Upon learning of his award, Dr. Park shared, “I am grateful to AESS for this award and for recognizing something I have always believed in: the importance of cultivating an integrated interdisciplinary approach to teaching, research, and scholarly engagement.” The committee noted strong scholarship, commitment to interdisciplinarity, contributions to the work of critically important institutions such as the UNEP and IUCN, as well as work supporting the next generation of ESS scholars. Dr. Park exemplifies the spirit of AESS in terms of scholarly and participatory approaches to ESS.

Dr. Corrie Grosse has been awarded the AESS Early Career Award. This Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and promising future potential for teaching, research, policy, or activism in any field of environmental science and studies. Through this award, AESS honors individuals who are early in their careers, but have made significant contributions to knowledge, community and diversity in environmental studies and science, and have a career plan and trajectory that promise to continue and bolster such contributions. Dr. Grosse is “honored to receive this award from such a welcoming community of scholars and activists devoted to producing, sharing, and applying knowledge to create the world we need.” The committee noted Dr. Grosse’s critically important scholarship, commitment to activism, dedication to inclusivity and justice, and impact on students. Dr. Grosse’s commitments to advance climate justice and engage scholars across disciplines exemplify AESS’s mission to promote collaborative environmental problem-solving.

The Association will also be evaluating poster presentations during the Conference and selecting a recipient for the Student Poster Award.

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Sessions for Professional Growth at AESS 2025

May 19, 2025 Uncategorized
The AESS Professional Development Committee is delighted to present a listing of all sessions related to PD that will be held at our June conference. Full session details can be found at our conference event website: https://site.pheedloop.com/event/AESS2025/sessions
Monday, June 23, 2025
1C: Lone Wolves and the Fierce Green Fire: A Workshop for Faculty Independently Managing Interdisciplinary Environmental Programs During Crisis June 23, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
1D: Bringing “Many Care, Just Differently” Into Your Scholarship & Teaching June 23, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
1E: Teaching, Scholarship, and Community Action under Trump 2.0 June 23, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
2A: Campuses as Living Labs: Local Actions, Community Engagement, and Environmental Practice June 23, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
2D: A review of core courses in Environmental Science curricula: Connecting best practices to on-the-ground program realities June 23, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
2C: New Applications for Documentary Film in Environmental Studies Pedagogy and Social Justice June 23, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
3B: Collaborating for Climate Resilience in Uncertain Times June 24, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
3C: The Lighter Side of Climate: Using Playfulness in our Sustainability Classrooms June 24, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
4D: Pedagogical Approaches to Capstone Experiences in Interdisciplinary Environmental Programs June 24, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
4C: Amplifying Sustainability in Higher Education Through Organizational Behavior Change June 24, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
4B: Community, Climate, and Public Health: Building Environmental Resilience Across Systems June 24, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
5E: DEI in 2025 Discussion June 25, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
5C: Is It You or Is It Burnout? – Acknowledging and Coping with Burnout (Symposia) June 25, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
5B: Why a true interdisciplinary curriculum is worth it; why it’s not easy; and strategies for how to get there.June 25, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
6B: Mentoring Excellence: Best Practices for Mentors and Mentees June 25, 9:45 AM – 11:15 AM
7C: Creating a Regional Environmental Studies Community: A View from the Greater Twin Cities June 25, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Good to Know: dates and times are accurate as of publishing. Changes are reflected in real-time on the event website schedule. Plus, aessconference.org has all event-related details.
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Special Journal Issue: Call for Papers

March 20, 2025 JESS

Call for papers – Special Issue

Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in South Asia – Lessons for Rights of Nature Discourses

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences

Editor-in-Chief: Teresa Lloro

Deadline for submission of papers: 31 May 2025

Please direct inquiries to special issue editor, Dr. Philippe Cullet: pcullet@nlumeg.ac.in and pc38@soas.ac.uk

Context

Rights of nature have caught up the imagination of all stakeholders, in part because this is seen as a potential alternative discourse to the increasingly discredited framing around sustainable development.[1] On the one hand, rights of nature are framed around the need to give effective priority to nature, reflected through an emphasis on ecocentric perspectives, opposed to the anthropocentricity of sustainable development and (international) environmental law.[2] On the other hand, rights of nature debates offer an entry point for addressing the various shortcomings of environmental policy over the past five decades. One of these is the top-down nature of environmental protection measures framed at the national level, or even international level, and trickling down to the local level. The level of engagement with people’s own nature conservation practices and policies has been on the whole relatively limited, as reflected, for instance, in policies favouring participation as part of a process of consultation rather than actual decision making. 

In this context, practices, policies and norms of indigenous peoples have been seen as potential anchors for the new environmental policy that needs to be built to address everything, from local environmental crises to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity.[3] In other words, rights of nature could turn out to offer a game-changing discourse by effectively engaging with practices and policies that have proved to be effective in the longer term. 

Indigenous environmental knowledge throws a challenge to conventional environmental policy, and also offers an alternative to the ecocentric framing of rights of nature. In this sense, it has the potential to offer a completely different framework for environmental policy of the future. At the same time, one of the reasons why indigenous practices often remain under-researched is because they have not been given the kind of recognition they deserve. 

This special issue seeks: 

–       papers that engage with indigenous ecological knowledge in the broader context of rights of nature in South Asia.

–       papers that engage from a variety of disciplines with the policy, law and governance aspects of indigenous ecological knowledge in relation to rights of nature.

–       papers that engage with local case studies, national-level framings or South Asia level debates.

–       papers that engage with issues related to livelihoods in relation to conservation, collective dimensions of the use and protection of the environment, specific elements of the environment (eg forests, water) are particularly welcome.

[1]      eg David R. Boyd, The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution that Could Save the World (ECW Press, 2017); M Davies, EcoLaw: Legality, Life, and the Normativity of Nature (Routledge 2022); Craig M. Kauffman and Pamela L. Martin, The Politics of Rights of Nature – Strategies for Building a More Sustainable Future (MIT Press, 2021).

[2]      eg Elizabeth Macpherson, ‘The (Human) Rights of Nature: A Comparative Study of Emerging Legal Rights for Rivers and Lakes in the United States of America and Mexico’ (2021) 31 Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum 327.

[3]      eg Juan José Guzmán, ‘Decolonizing Law and Expanding Human Rights: Indigenous Conceptions and the Rights of Nature in Ecuador’ (2019) 4 Deusto Journal of Human Rights 59.

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AESS Announces 2024 Award Winners

June 20, 2024 AESS News Bulletins

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 20, 2024

For immediate release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) has selected the four recipients of the 2024 AESS Awards to be recognized at a virtual ceremony during the AESS Annual Conference, June 20-21, 2024. Since 2010, these awards have recognized faculty, scholars and students in Environmental Studies and Sciences at all career stages who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service to the AESS community.

The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.  

2024 Award Recipients

Dr. Stephanie Kaza has been awarded the William R. Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award.  Named for an AESS founder, Dr. William R. Freudenburg, this Award seeks to recognize and advance the spirit of AESS co-founder, the late Professor William R. Freudenburg, who spawned a new generation of environmental professionals and academics who have pursued interdisciplinary research to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. Through this award, AESS honors members of the profession who have also devoted their lives to strengthening our field by mentoring the next generation of environmental scientists and activists. Dr. Stephanie Kaza is Professor Emeritus in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont (UVM). She is a writer, a practicing Soto Zen Buddhist and tireless advocate for interdisciplinary studies. For many years, she served as the Director of the Environmental Program at UVM  and on the U.S. Council of Environmental Deans and Directors. Dr. Kaza has been a leader in the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies for most of her career. 

Dr. Kaza’s scholarly contributions reflect a commitment to integrative environmental scholarship. Her publications underscore the significance of humanities in interdisciplinary environmental studies. Notably, her last three books, published by the Buddhist press Shambala Publications, delve into the intersection of spirituality and ecology. Equally significant is Dr. Kaza’s impact as an educator. Throughout her extensive career, she has excelled in teaching and lecturing on various topics. In 2011, she received the UVM George V. Kidder Outstanding Faculty Award, a testament to her excellence in teaching. Dr. Stephanie Kaza has a lifetime of commitment to interdisciplinary environmental studies and sciences. AESS is delighted to recognize her long-standing contributions to the organization as one of the founding members and to the field overall. 

Dr. Laurence Delina has been awarded the AESS Early Career Award. This Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and promising future potential for teaching, research, policy, or activism in any field of environmental science and studies. Through this award, AESS honors individuals who are early in their careers, but have made significant contributions to knowledge, community and diversity in environmental studies and science, and have a career plan and trajectory that promise to continue and bolster such contributions. Dr. Delina’s research is primarily focused on climate, energy and resilience with a specific emphasis on vulnerable populations in Southeast Asia, his home region. The committee noted accomplishments as a scholar as well as dedication in the field – particularly the collaborative and consistent support of students and more junior researchers via the Delina Research Group. Dr. Delina exemplifies the spirit of AESS in terms of scholarly and participatory approaches to ESS.

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2024 Election Results

June 15, 2024 2016 Conference, 2017 Conference, 2018 Conference, AESS News Bulletins, AESS Voices, Branded Books Series

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Announces New Board Members

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 17, 2024

For immediate release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s elections. The candidates below were selected by their peers earlier this month, with the results certified by the AESS Elections committee. 

President-Elect: Dave Murphy 

Secretary: Brieanne Berry

Board at-large: Fateh Bindra (student), Paul Jorgensen, Katharine Owens

Nominations Committee: Emily Azevedo-Casey (student), Patricia DeMarco, Ben Ndayambaje

The candidates come from wide ranging backgrounds including a global health leader, a water quality policy researcher, an energy and environmental policy analyst and a social scientist. We have individuals joining us from across the United States and abroad, from north eastern states to Wisconsin and down to the Rio Grande region of Texas as well as international representation in Singapore. The newly elected board, some who have served on the board previously, expressed honor and gratitude at serving AESS in their new positions. 

“I am committed to fostering an inclusive community that welcomes and values diverse perspectives, understanding that our efforts to address environmental challenges are enriched by a multitude of voices,” Dave Murphy said. Murphy also expresses a deep appreciation for the AESS community’s positivity, and plans to devote particular effort into outreach and membership growth.

Emily Azevedo-Casey is a PhD student at UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and brings prior non-profit board experience along with a track record recruiting speakers and panelists and designing events. She identifies as a nontraditional student and shares “it would be my priority to build an election slate [for 2025] that reflects the diversity of both the AESS community and the environmental studies and science fields.”

Paul Jorgensen brings experience working in a region experiencing environmental injustice. He expresses an appreciation for AESS and opportunities for interdisciplinary professionals to collaborate. “I would like to work at continuing the justice-oriented mission of AESS so that the organization is inclusive and inviting for all who are actively working to promote sustainable living.” Jorgensen also plans to continue serving on the conference and membership committees.

Kat Owens embodies interdisciplinary studies through her work in science, policy and the arts. She is well-known in the AESS community for her group sewing sessions where participants actively divert plastic film from oceans by creating life-sized portraits of animals harmed by plastic pollution. “AESS is my primary professional group and I truly appreciate the interdisciplinary approach and welcoming atmosphere,” said Owens. Owens has previously served on the Board and looks forward to continuing efforts to amplify the voices and works of diverse members.

The newly elected will officially take office following the close of the annual AESS conference, which is being held virtually June 20-21. To find out more about the elected, visit AESS’s election page. 

Thank you to the Nominations Committee, who is responsible for recruiting and nominating candidates for elective offices. Learn more about AESS Committees. If you wish to serve on a committee, email support@aessonline.org. All AESS members are welcome to serve!

The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.

https://aessonline.org/2024-election-results/

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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.

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