Colorado State University’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability has selected 20 early-career investigators as Sustainability Leadership Fellows for the next academic year. This group represents 13 departments and units, and six colleges at the university.

The Sustainability Leadership Fellows program prepares future innovators and thought leaders with state-of-the-art science communication and career development training. According to the School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES), the program is one of the first of its kind and is one of the longest-running programs of this type in North America.

SoGES Director Diana Wall said with this incoming group, 200 sustainability scientists will be trained through this competitive program.

SoGES Senior Research and Engagement Officer Aleta Weller said that “more will be asked of future sustainability experts than ever before. Through this program, we are equipping up-and-coming leaders with a suite of knowledge and skills to better address the big global challenges we face.”

SoGES recognizes that CSU’s academic researchers and doctoral students are a primary informational resource for the complex decisions that will determine our environmental future.

Over the course of one year, the fellows receive training to prepare them to be leaders for the future. They learn to: effectively communicate science to the media and public, professional development skills and techniques and strategies to build successful careers that incorporate meaningful engagement and interdisciplinarity.