Welcome Letter from the Department Chair, Dr. Laird Christensen:
If you ask students majoring in Sustainable Development at Appalachian State what led them down this educational path, most would agree that it’s the authentic desire they share to make a difference in the world. For some, that’s helping preserve biodiversity and clean water or providing safe, affordable food throughout their communities. For others it may be helping neighbors recover or better prepare for the many challenges our communities face, whether from climate disruption or broken social systems. Our students are here because they feel called to help.
This is an education inspired by the vision of a just and sustainable future, but then settles down to the urgent work of learning how to get there. Along the way, students develop skills to analyze and assess the ways in which some human systems and practices cause more harm than good and also learn the methods and applications needed to address complex problems that defy simple solutions. That is the work of the twenty-first century. There will be no shortage of need for people with skills in stakeholder engagement, resilience planning, systems analysis, justice advocacy, project implementation, and adaptive leadership, to name just a few, and our degree programs will prepare you to meet these needs.
Each new set of challenges that arises – whether more powerful storms, urban wildfires, population displacement, or inability of people to fulfill their basic needs – requires us to adapt to how the world is changing. We are proud of our students and their desire to engage in meaningful work, especially at a time of such great global transformation. They’ve found their way to the right place, and we have no doubt that they will make a difference, as so many of our alumni are already doing. We are honored to help prepare them for this historic work. If you share the calling to make a difference, we’re looking forward to getting to know you. As Dr. Katherine Wilkerson writes, “It is a magnificent thing to be alive in a moment that matters so much.”
