UMD Center Offers Free Sustainability Resources

The University of Maryland’s National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) has launched a collection of free sustainability-focused resources to engage more teachers and students in discussions about sustainability—with the hope that a greater diversity of perspectives and experiences can yield more robust and creative solutions.

The collection—videos, podcast interviews, lesson plans, case studies and more—is unique in that it incorporates knowledge from across the disciplinary spectrum. For example, sociology Professor Dana R. Fisher explains the basic concepts of environmental sociology in a video lecture, while in a podcast interview, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, an associate professor in UMD’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, discusses how her team used theories from economics, sociology and psychology to better understand the decision-making process involved in managing private lands.

“The more we can understand all the ways in which humans interact with their surroundings, the better equipped we’ll be to find and implement creative solutions to enhance sustainability. Broadening the number of scholars we include in this work, particularly from different fields and backgrounds, is key to this effort,” said SESYNC Director and Distinguished University Professor Margaret Palmer. “These resources have been perfect for use in my teaching from the undergraduate to graduate levels and beyond.”