Speaker: Betty J. Woodman, Ph.D.
Maine Business School, University of Maine
What is a “mindset,” and how does it relate to sustainability outcomes? This talk addresses systems-based research into a “sustainability mindset.” Findings illuminate the effects of nonrational motivations and power relations as well as connections between the social, organizational, and environmental challenges we face.
How can we “shift” to a sustainability mindset? The talk further explores a new systems method, which incorporates rational and non-rational analyses as a foundation for sustainability education and leadership development. This analysis demonstrates the relevance of social psychology, ethics, and marketing to sustainability initiatives.
Betty Woodman received a Ph.D. in Applied Ethics from Emory University and also holds an M.A. in Philosophy and B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Her dissertation, “Sustainability Mindset: Practical Implications of an Existential Analysis of Freedom, Flourishing, and Ecological Interdependence,” addresses sustainable leadership, education, and community. As sustainability fellow at Emory University, she worked with multidisciplinary faculty to develop and teach inaugural courses associated with a new campus-wide sustainability minor. Currently, Betty teaches marketing and leadership in the Maine Business School of the University of Maine.
