Blog
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Solving complex sustainability issues starts with clear communication , articleSustainability issues are complex and often hotly debated. Knowing how to talk about challenging subjects with diverse audiences is key to solving them. Not surprisingly, successful communication starts with empathy—an ability to really listen and put yourself in the shoes of the person or group with whom you’re trying to communicate. Instructor Mary Berry teaches students in our Online Master of Natural Resources program how to become effective sustainability communicators in her course Leadership Communication for Sustainability Professionals.
Date: 10/20/2020 -
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Virginia Beach: bracing for local impact of global climate change , article“Climate change is a global phenomenon, but its effects reflect local and regional conditions. Developing and selecting adaptation strategies that reflect geographic idiosyncrasies, as well as the needs and values of multiple stakeholders, isn’t always easy,” writes Jennie Hoffman, marine ecologist and one of the newest XMNR faculty members.
Date: 10/13/2020 -
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The Making of a Virtual XMNR Cohort: a Producer’s Perspective , articleAmy Hubbard, XMNR Program Associate, shares a candid, behind-the-scenes account of what it takes to bring an in-person, synchronous graduate program entirely online. Amy talks about lessons learned, unexpected benefits of the new format, and plans for the program’s future.
Date: 10/06/2020 -
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XMNR alum celebrates one year as environmental director of a transformed Brooklyn park , articleXMNR alum Tim Howell talks about managing the Shirley Chisholm State Park, a large urban park in Brooklyn, NY; the importance of access to nature for city residents during the pandemic; and how the MNR program experience gave him the confidence and leadership skills necessary to step into a new role of Deputy Park Director.
Date: 09/24/2020 -
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Are you ready for a career pivot? , articleConsidering a career change? Jennifer Wills, Founder of J. Wills Coaching and Lead Career Coach at CLiGS, recommends several books to help you make a successful pivot.
Date: 09/17/2020 -
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Buenos Aires and Mendoza: exploring environmental sustainability in Argentina , articleThis October, students in Virginia Tech’s Online Master of Natural Resources (OMNR) program would have embarked on a 10-day Global Study trip to Argentina, where they would have immersed themselves in new landscapes and studied sustainability issues firsthand. While all overseas trips have been postponed in compliance with the university’s travel policies, we look forward to going back to Argentina as soon as it is safe to travel again.
Date: 09/10/2020 -
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XMNR students develop key competencies for global change , articleDr. David Robertson, Founding Director of the XMNR program, discusses the leadership skills sustainability professionals require to take on the challenges of the Anthropocene. “Traditional problem-solving tools, such as technology, expertise, rationality, and authority, remain useful but are no longer sufficient,” he says. “We need new approaches to leadership that will help stakeholders connect, collaborate, and adapt in the future.”
Date: 09/02/2020 -
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Green infrastructure: construction, communication, and community , articleOperating in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the Clean Water Partnership (CWP) is one of the most innovative green infrastructure programs in the country and a great example of a successful Community Based Public Private Partnership or CBP3. Students in our Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program have an opportunity to meet with and learn from the partners during their coursework on advanced leadership skills, such as building partnerships and cross-sector collaborations.
Date: 08/20/2020 -
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The time for Environmental Security is now , articleGlobal pandemics, severe storms, raging wildfires and chronic droughts, earthquakes, floods, melting glaciers—all are examples of environmental events affecting the security of humans—in other words, facets of Environmental Security. Dr. Erwin Villger, who recently joined CLiGS as a Fellow in Environmental Security, offers an insightful introduction to this emerging discipline and its key role in sustainable development.
Date: 08/13/2020 -
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Leadership: it’s wicked important, according to new book by CLiGS faculty , articleVirginia Tech faculty take on pervasive sustainability challenges in a new book Leadership for Sustainability: Strategies for Tackling Wicked Problems, slated to be released in the fall by Island Press. CLiGS Founding Director and one of the book’s authors Dr. Michael Mortimer emphases its timeliness during the COVID pandemic, pointing to “the deep polarization and politicization, disregard for salient facts, distrust of established expertise” that exacerbate so many of today’s environmental challenges and require leadership that can bridge these chasms.
Date: 08/04/2020
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