elections

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/

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Announces New Board Members

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

June 15, 2023

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: Susan Caplow 

Board at-large: Laureen Elgert, Laura Henry-Stone, Nirav Patel

Nominations Committee: Nurcan Atlan-Helicke, Elly Engle, Joy Yu-Rong Liu

The new members come from wide ranging backgrounds including a forest ecologist, an environmental justice professor and a social scientist. We have individuals joining us from across the entire United States, from New York to Alabama and across to Arizona. The newly elected board, some who have served on the board previously, expressed honor and gratitude at serving AESS in their new positions. 

“It is a huge honor to be selected to serve as the President Elect for the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences,” Susan Caplow said. “AESS has always been such a welcoming community for me, a place where I have been able to collaboratively explore the unique challenges and opportunities inherent to interdisciplinary environmental programs.” 

Nirav Patel, an expert in experiential learning, shared that AESS has offered a welcoming platform since the beginning for all environmental areas. “I am deeply aware of the challenges many members of our profession face, especially those in underrepresented groups. I am excited to work with the members and the president elect on designing programs that can allow talented, creative, and diverse voices to emerge.”

As coordinator of McDaniel College’s Agrifood Program, Elly Engle examines ways in which community-led food initiatives contribute to localized sustainable development and socio-ecological justice. She expressed gratitude for the AESS community for giving her “support like no other professional organization.” She said she looks forward to returning this support for others in her new service role on the board.

The newly elected will officially take office following the close of the annual AESS conference, which is being held in Portland, OR July 9-12, 2023. 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/2023-election-results/

Board President Elect

Susan Caplow Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Montevallo It is a huge honor to be selected to serve as the President Elect for the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences. AESS has always been such a welcoming community for me, a place where I have been able to collaboratively explore the unique challenges and opportunities inherent to interdisciplinary environmental programs. In this role, I look forward to exploring ways to expand AESS’s reach and improve our services to the ESS community.

Board At-Large

Laureen Elgert Professor, Environmental Policy and International Development Department Head, Integrative and Global Studies Global School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Laura Henry-Stone Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability, University of Lynchburg	Nirav Patel Lecturer, Binghamton University, Department of Environmental Studies and Sustainability

Nominations Committee

Nurcan Atlan-Helicke Associate Professor in Environmental Studies and Sciences, Skidmore	Elly Engle Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, McDaniel College	Joy Yu-Rong Liu Independent Consultant, International Development and Environmental Studies in Higher Education

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Announces New Board Members

Contact: Carolyn Anthon

support@aessonline.org 

Office: (202) 503-4638 

May 26, 2022

For immediate release

Baltimore, MD — 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: Karin Warren 

Board Treasurer: Dave Hassenzahl

Board at-large: Katherine Hasnain, Theresa Selfa, Zipangani Vokhiwa

Nominations Committee: Christine Kirchhoff, Brieanne Berry, Christina Downs (Student)

The new members come from wide ranging backgrounds including a natural scientist, a former livestock officer and an archeology technician. We have individuals joining us from across the entire United States, from Maine and Florida all the way to California. The newly elected board, some who have served on the board previously, expressed honor and gratitude at serving AESS in their new positions. 

“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve as President-Elect with AESS President Kat Owens and continuing and new AESS Board members,” said Karin Warren. “I respect the potential and power of shared vision and collaborative leadership and look forward to helping to increase participation and engagement in our organization and inclusion of a diversity of perspectives and experiences.”

Brieanne Berry, whose research focuses on systems of production/consumption/disposal, said, “I’m so thrilled to join AESS in this capacity and look forward to strengthening and growing this vibrant organization!”

Dave Hassenzahl brings a wealth of experience to the AESS board as he previously served as president and secretary and he is also one of the founding members of AESS. In his new role as treasurer, he plans “to continue the good work of the outgoing treasurer by maintaining transparent, sustainable, and orderly finances.” 

The newly elected will officially take office following the close of the annual AESS conference, which is being held in Baltimore from June 20-22. 

Thank you to the Nominations Committee, chaired by Erin Burkett, 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.  

To find out more about the elected, visit AESS’s election page.

Board President Elect

	Karin Warren Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies & Science, Randolph College

Board Treasurer

	Dave Hassenzahl Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, California State University, Chico

Board At-Large

Katherine Hasnain MSc student in Environmental Policy at the London School of Economics, and 2022 Yale Environmental Fellow	Theresa Selfa Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, SUNY-ESF	Zipangani Vokhiwa Professor of Science, Mercer University

Nominations Committee

Christine Kirchhoff  Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental   Engineering, University of Connecticut	Brieanne Berry Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Ursinus College	Christina Downs MA graduate Interdisciplinary Studies major with Anthropology and Environmental Sustainability concentrations, University of Central Florida