Workshops in Sustainability Career Paths and Curriculum

Thinking about a future in sustainability? Join Columbia University's M.S. in Sustainability Management for a special panel series, “Workshops in Sustainability Career Paths and Curriculum,” where alumni share which courses had the biggest impact on their careers—and why.

The workshop series offers an inside look at how Columbia’s M.S. in Sustainability Management's curriculum translates into real-world skills and professional opportunities. Hear directly from graduates as they reflect on the classes that shaped their thinking, built their toolkits, and helped them launch successful careers in sustainability.

Registrants can attend virtually or in person, and registration is required.

Moderator:

Lynnette Widder

Professor of Practice, Sustainability Management

Lynnette Widder is Professor of Practice in Sustainability Management at Columbia University. Her current research includes work on urban diaspora and non-cultivated plant life (Columbia World Projects and the Center for the Study of Social Difference), sustainable bauxite mining in West Africa (UNDP and Climate School Earth Frontiers), earth construction and its environmental implications (SPS and GSAPP), and innovation in climate change communication (Climate School Earth Networks).

She is the author of Year Zero to Economic Miracle: Hans Schwippert and Sep Ruf in Postwar West German Building Culture (2022) and co-authored Architecture Live Projects: Pedagogy into Practice (2014) and Ira Rakatansky: As Modern as Tomorrow (2010). Her non-fiction has appeared in the Oxonian Review, Daidalos, Bauwelt, Architecture, Manifest, Kritische Berichte, the Journal of Industrial Ecology, and The Social Science Journal; and her fiction, in Northwest Review, Blue White and Camera Obscura. She has curated three exhibitions on environmentally responsive Japanese-American architect Kaneji Domoto and received awards for her renovation of his Lurie House. Funding for her research has also come from the Mellon Foundation, the AIA New York Center for Architecture, the Graham Foundation, the German Academic Exchange (DAAD), Fulbright, and the UN Development Programme in Guinea; and has held fellowships from the Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris and MacDowell. The work of her architectural office, aardvarchitecture, has been published in the US, Europe, China and Australia.

Panelists:

Thayer Kennedy

Urban Economist, AECOM

Thayer Kennedy is an Urban Economist at AECOM and a recent graduate of Columbia University's Master of Science in Sustainability Management program. Her career has centered on the intersection of sustainability, finance, and the built environment, with experience spanning renewable energy M&A, infrastructure investment, and economic development.

At AECOM, she works on projects that help communities evaluate the economic impacts of investments in infrastructure, resilience, and growth. Her academic and professional interests include sustainable cities, climate finance, historic preservation, and the role of public and private investment in shaping the future of the built environment. Outside of her professional work, Thayer serves on the board of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society. She is passionate about architecture, art, and preserving cultural heritage while advancing sustainable development.

Melinda Schenk

Sustainability Analyst, Cooper Recycling

David Hugens

GIS Manager, Parker Water & Sanitation District

Note:

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

For in person attendees, a QR code will be emailed to your email address the day before the event, which will grant you access to Morningside Campus where the workshop will take place. Please note that in person seating is limited.

For virtual attendees, the Zoom link will be emailed to your email address on the day of the event.

For more information, please contact the event organizer, Cindy Ip, at [email protected]

To obtain additional information about program offerings at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, please contact an Admissions Counselor at [email protected].

If you require closed captioning, sign-language interpretation, or any other disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services, [email protected], at least 10 days in advance.

Please visit Columbia University’s Hub for Emergency Preparedness (https://preparedness.columbia.edu/) to stay up to date on the latest campus health and safety policies.

This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity and sex.

Event venue

Columbia University, 116th and Broadway, New York, United States

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