Mitchell Thomashow

Biographical Information
"Dr. Mitchell Thomashow devotes his life and work to promoting ecological awareness, sustainable living, creative learning, improvisational thinking, social networking, and organizational excellence. Currently he is engaged in teaching, writing, and executive consulting, cultivating opportunities and exchanges that transform how people engage with sustainability and ecological learning.

"Most recently, from 2006-2011, Thomashow was the president of Unity College in Maine. With his management team, he integrated concepts of ecology, sustainability, natural history, wellness, participatory governance, and community service into all aspects of college and community life. This included construction of The Unity House, the first LEED Platinum President's Residence in North America, the TeraHaus, a passive house student residence, comprehensive campus energy planning, an integrated approach to growing food on campus, and a new academic master plan.

"Thomashow serves on the board of the Coalition on Environmental and Jewish Life (COEJL) and the advisory board of Orion Magazine. He is a founding member of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD), a national organization that supports interdisciplinary environmental studies in higher education. He serves as a consultant to Second Nature and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

"He is the author of two influential books, Ecological Identity: Becoming a Reflective Environmentalist (The MIT Press, 1995) and Bringing the Biosphere Home, (The MIT Press, 2001). A recent essay (2010), The Gaian Generation: A New Approach to Environmental Learning provides radical new concepts for teaching about global environmental change. Another essay, "The Nine Elements of a Sustainable Campus" provides a comprehensive template for transforming campus living and learning environments."

Affiliations

 * Forum on Religion and Ecology: Advisory Board of Area Specialists for the Forum
 * Advisory Board, Orion Magazine