UC names new director of School of Environment and Sustainability

Through its one-year-old School of Environment and Sustainability, the college is working to provide students with opportunities to get out ahead of these questions to bring a new generation of thought leaders to the table.

“Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility, and each of us need to do our part,” UC College of Arts and Sciences Dean James Mack said.

“However, if we aren’t helping our community understand how they can help and what role they play, we won’t reach our goals. Attracting a leader to the university to help organize our sustainability efforts is key to our success.”

This semester, Laura Zanotti was named director of the school. Zanotti has served as professor of anthropology at Purdue University; graduate director for Purdue's anthropology department, and associate director for its Center for the Environment. An awward-winning academic, her experience also includes roles as affiliate faculty in the Institute for a Sustainable Future; Ecological Sciences and Engineering; Native American and Indigenous Studies; Latin and Latino American Studies; and Digital Humanities.

The interdisciplinary nature of the new school attracted her to the position, she said.  

“I was drawn to the position because of its transdisciplinary grounding to address entrenched sociotechnical, cultural, political, economic, and environmental issues of our time,” she says.   

“Rarely do you see interdisciplinary programs prioritize robust environmental humanities and environmental science and social sciences approaches at the same time. SEaS at UC offers both experiences to our students alongside a dynamic co-op, internship, research, and abroad experiences.”   

Here, Zanotti shares her vision for the new school, and its mission going forward for its students. 

I am honored that the School of Environment and Sustainability is part of a broader UC community that is poised to educate students, catalyze research, work with communities, and address sustainability challenges. From UC’s Climate Action Plan to A&S’s Discovery in Action commitment, the Environmental Studies program serves as a launching pad for students to explore, address, confront, and engage with sustainability issues during their time at UC and beyond. Our students are ready and eager to participate.

The School of Environment and Sustainability seeks to inspire students for purpose-driven environmental careers. I am particularly excited about visioning with school avenues for student success across recruitment, retention, and professional development while animating strengths already in place.  

We hope to continue to offer our diversified curriculum, review our program for new areas of growth, as well as expand our offerings for abroad and other specialty classes. Community engagement is a hallmark of UC and our program, and we will continue to work, invest in working with and learning from partners to address resilience in the Greater Cincinnati Area.  

I am also proud that our students hold internships and complete co-ops in businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits, gaining experience in the work of sustainability. 

I have had the good fortune to step into this role with already established strong ties to student organizations on campus, such Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection, as well as community relationships. We plan to continue this vibrant work.

For example, this semester, students have worked with the Sierra Club Miami Group, Preserve Burnet Woods and various other stakeholders and neighbors to the park, community councils and neighborhood advocacy groups.

I am also proud that our students hold internships and complete co-ops in businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits, gaining experience in the work of sustainability.

My approach to inclusive administration, transdisciplinary research, and holistic mentorship is rooted in my commitment to combining the strengths of a liberal arts and science education with environmental challenges. 

This approach has been forged through my history as a cultural anthropologist and interdisciplinary environmental scholar in diverse leadership roles, including serving as the Associate Director for the Center for the Environment at Purdue (currently Institute for a Sustainable Future), Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology, and the Secretary-Treasurer and Board member of the international organization, The Society for Anthropology of Lowland South America. 

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