Designing the Future

Visioning Education for the Environment and Sustainability in the 21st Century at Middlebury

Conversation with Professor Rob Nixon, University of Wisconsin/ Madison – Margolin Lecturer

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October 31, 2012
Franklin Environmental
Professor Steve Trombulak – Facilitator

Rob Nixon, Professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison, spoke with the Environmental Studies steering committee as part of the visioning process Redefining Education for the Environment and Sustainability in the 21st Century. Middlebury Professor Steve Trombulak facilitated the conversation which focused on lessons learned from the Environmental Humanities program at UW.

UW’s program, Cultures and History of the Environment, began six years ago as a precursor to environmental humanities. The program brings together students and faculty from across disciplines and aims to reach a range of students. However, Nixon noted that participation from science students continues to slip.

Dan Brayton, Middlebury Professor of English, commented on the increasing solitude in the production of knowledge in humanities and the need to set up a framework for how humanities engages with science and social science. Environmental humanities could provide this framework.

Nixon commented on the potential of environmental humanities to teach writing skills, particularly nonfiction, which improves the quality of scientific communications.  By teaching science students public writing skills, students learn what is gained and lost in the transmission of knowledge across different audiences.  Furthermore, both writers and scientists develop a set of skills by working with different formats and baselines of knowledge.

When asked, “What do you see as the ideal standards for assessing students and achievements?’”Nixon answered, “interdisciplinary literacy.” Nixon explained the need to encourage environmental studies students to discover their spectrum of interest. Mentoring from professors who approach the field from different directions can help students combine the different disciplines that speak to these interests. This may also lead to professional versatility.

The topic of UW interdisciplinary hiring seemed particularly interesting to the group . Under this model, a group of three faculty members from different departments pitch a rubric and invite candidates to campus who fit this rubric. Nixon shared that this approach broke open habitual modes of operating, enlivened departments, and created more conversations from different perspectives.

The conversation ended with a discussion about the future of Middlebury’s environmental program. Professors highlighted the importance of thinking about future scenarios rather than reacting only to present issues. Nixon advised the group to talk about the future and look at it in terms of artistic and intellectual thinking, to create empowering and energizing ways to think about the future and the environment, and to consider what future the program wants and what changes will make this happen.

 

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