Post-election, many in our community are feeling anger and fear about what the future holds for their loved ones, their communities, and themselves. Along with the GPS faculty and staff, I want to acknowledge the challenges this moment brings. I also want to share some thoughts that have been on my mind.
Kamala Harris’s campaign slogan, “Not Going Back,” raises a key question: Back from what, and to where? As sustainability professionals and a GPS community, how we answer this shapes our path forward.
In the past 25 years, we’ve seen real progress: Solar power is now cheaper than fossil fuels, gay marriage is legal nationwide, and businesses are increasingly adopting sustainability practices. Social movements have shifted public consciousness, and the UN has embraced a roadmap for a sustainable future. These shifts may take decades to fully transform society, but they are happening.
That said, progress is never linear. Challenges like climate change, inequality, and social injustice persist. And while we face setbacks—such as the erosion of reproductive rights and climate policy—progress will continue within many states, cities, and mission-driven organizations. True equality and liberty will take generations, and we remain committed to the work ahead.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Whether or not we see this justice unfold in our lifetime, we in the GPS community are committed to moving forward, together, with purpose and meaning.
My profound gratitude for the good work you are all doing, and will do, in the years ahead. We need leaders like you who will approach challenges thoughtfully, carry forward the torch for equity, and stand up for the values we hold dear.
No matter the results or individual perspectives, the shared experience of the election season often leaves a need for a space to process and reflect. These feelings of anxiety and uncertainty may linger. If you would like the space to discuss these feelings, please feel free to reach out.
Best for the work ahead,
Eban Goodstein
Director, Bard GPS
SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND JUSTICE THIS GIVING TUESDAY
The work we do here at Bard GPS is more crucial than ever as we are on the eve of a Trump 2.0 presidency. Bard GPS is doubling down on our commitment to train our students to create a more sustainable and just future and we need your support. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to Bard GPS today on Giving Tuesday. You can choose whether your gift goes directly to student tuition and internship support or to ensuring the success and stability of Bard GPS for the long haul. Contact Katie Boyle with any questions about your gift.
Bard GPS Faculty in Action
- Laura Gitman and David Korngold (MBA), leaders of our NYCLab consulting course, have just produced an important and insightful new report based on 30 interviews with Corporate Sustainability Officers (CSOs): The CSO at a Crossroads: Three Paths Forward for Sustainability Leaders.
- Jackie Ebner (MBA) is excited to announce her new role as Senior Consultant at Resource Recycling Systems (RRS).
- Gautam Sethi (CEP) presented the following papers: "Fuzzy Maps for Wicked Problems: An Inclusive, Systems Approach to Improving Biodiversity Outcomes in the Carpathian Region" (coauthor Elena Fisher, CEP '24) and "Evaluating the feasibility of greenhouse farming in Vermont, United States" (coauthor Maddi Shropshire, CEP '25) at the 2024 iEMSs Biennial Conference in East Lansing, MI.
- In Summer 2024, Eban Goodstein (GPS) gave presentations at the University of the Philippines and at the Korean Environment Institute. He is also finishing edits on the Tenth Edition of his college textbook, Economics and the Environment (Wiley Publishing).
- Janice Lao (MBA) was named one of The SustainabilityX Magazine's Global 50 Women in Sustainability.
- Lenore Kantor (MBA) is preparing to launch her upcoming book, So, What Do You Do? The Authentic Alchemy Path to Find Who You Are. She’ll be doing pre-launch activities including presentations in advance of the January publication date.
- In August, Michael Shuman (MBA) participated in a week-long workshop on Local Economy Building at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy. This past spring, he also led a series of community workshops on local investment in the Hudson Valley and a series of community workshops in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on food localization.
- Rochelle March and Renay Loper (MBA) both recently made appearances at the Sustainable Brands Conference in San Diego, CA. Renay moderated a panel on leveraging DEI practices to enhance sustainability investments and Rochelle led a workshop modeled after our MBA curriculum titled "Accelerate your Career in Sustainability."
- Renay Loper (MBA) also recently spoke at VERGE on "Driving Sustainable Change: Practical Strategies for Change Management."
Bard GPS Steps Up and Speaks Out
- In June, Janet K. Viader (MBA '20) organized an event for WISE (Women investing for a sustainable economy), a networking for women in ESG and sustainable finance. The theme was “Seasonal Harvest Potluck Picnic” and she invited Leigh Anne Statuto (MBA ‘21) to speak about sustainable food systems.
- Leigh Anne Statuto (MBA '21) chaired the Navigating the Green Horizon: Shaping The Future Of Sustainable Finance Conference in Naples, Italy. She also moderated a conversation at The Nest Climate Campus during Climate Week.
- Karla Pinzón (MBA '27) can be seen in the upcoming documentary, Journey Abroad: An Undocu Story, a film by Erick Arredondo that follows 12 DACA recipient members of the Cultural Leadership Fellowship (CLF) program as they travel to Japan.
- Sarah Bodley (MBA '15) was a member of the advisory board of the emerging membership network, Cooperate CT, which put on a full day conference on October 30th in Hartford, CT. Learn more at www.connecticut.coop/bbau
- A recent film by Steve Bonds-Liptay (MS EP '10), Valve Turners, was selected for the Climate Film Festival and won the Climate Action Award
- On October 15th, Monica Marie Avery (MBA '22) organized and participated in an online panel for CompassPoint titled, “Avoiding the ‘Succession Cliff’: Planning your next Finance Team,” where she talked about succession planning for finance team staffing with a racial equity and social justice lens.
- Deanna Diaz (MBA '25) recently finished a white paper for Installnet about the challenges and opportunities in decommissioning commercial office spaces and finding creative ways to keep tons of office furniture out of the landfill.
- Isabelle Legare (MS EP '21) recently served as a moderator for the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter 2024’s panel, "Navigating the Future of Big Data Analytics in Public Sector Planning."
- Veronica Johnson (MBA ‘21) presented at AASHE 2024 in October.
- Isobel Modica (MBA ‘23) participated in a visiting designer talk on sustainable and innovative product design at Wide Eye Design firm
- Alex Lykins (MBA ‘19) has recently given the following presentations: SUNY Physical Plant Administrators Association (02/06/24)- Implementing Clean Energy Master Plans; SUNY Sustainability Conference (07/12/24)- Higher Education Decarbonization; and CUNY Sustainability Conference (09/12/24) - Panel on State Energy Policy.
- Stacey Jewell (MBA ‘25) completed her EDF Fellowship with Rewiring America and as part of this role, gave a public webinar presentation on Inclusive Utility Investment. Additionally, she spoke at the annual EDF summit. Plus, you can check her out on episode 704 of the Impact Report!
Bard GPS Professional Updates
- Found & Fixed Hudson Valley, the company of Justine Porter (MBA '15), recently received a $300,000 investment from Seed Commons and Coop Hudson Valley.
- Isobel Modica (MBA '23) was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Design at Welspun USA.
- Earlier this year, Kaleena Miller (MS EP '10) was accepted into the SARE Fellows Program, a national sustainable agriculture program in which they accept four professionals from around the country each year. She also submitted her dossier for tenure status this year as a faculty member at Montana State University.
- Michael Rojas (MBA '23) recently started independent management consulting with NJMEP, the state's nonprofit focused on supporting the manufacturing industry. Currently, he’s working with a medical device company to improve their operational efficiencies. Learn more about NJMEP’s Continuous Improvement services here. In August, Michael also received the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
- In October, Meghan Altman (MBA '18) celebrated 1 year as the Director of Sustainability at Chobani.
- Jen Benson (MS EP '22) now serves as the Environmental Action Director & Interim Director of Communications for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
- Jen Shelbo (MBA '17) has relocated to the San Francisco Bay area to take on a new role as Senior Financial Analyst for Ghirardelli.
- Alex Lykins (MBA '19) is now the Senior Key Account Manager at NYPA.
- Bianca Romano (MBA '22) now serves as the Sr. Director of Supply Chain at SIMPLi.
- Maggi Young (MS EP '09) has taken on the role of Director of Environmental Policy and Sustainability at Expand Energy.
- Since January, Amy Kalafa (MBA ‘16) has been working as Media Producer / Designer for the Transportation Energy Institute. TEI is a non-advocacy research organization dedicated to studying transportation energy and associated markets. The institute studies all aspects of fuel used for vehicle transportation, with a focus on research that impacts carbon reduction in the present and near future. In addition to that work, Amy is also leading culinary voyages to the south of France with her husband who is a French chef. They now live in St. Augustine, Florida, and she’s working with local community leaders on a film for Florida’s new Museum of Black History.
- Milo Keller (MBA ‘26) has taken on a new role as Project Analyst at GridMarket, helping to get commercial and utility-scale renewable energy projects installed across the US and internationally.
- Benjamin Volk (MS EP/MBA ‘19) recently received a holistic health coaching certification from Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) as of May and is starting a health coaching business (Gut Guru by Ben). His goal is to help people struggling with chronic indigestion/heartburn, stomach pains, loss of appetite, and fatigue get back to socializing with friends, going out to eat, and being active again without letting gut symptoms rule their life.
- In April, Janet Viader (MBA ‘20) started as a Project Consultant in Sustainability, Energy & Climate Change at WSP USA (shoutout to Delicia Nahman for the intro and Kristin Hanczor for her endorsement).
- Ana Caka (MBA ‘25) has taken a new position as Staff Accountant for the Fred Astaire Dance Studio while continuing as a Marketing Assistant for Webquity.
- Erika Bruce (MBA ‘23) is now working as an Associate on BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship team. She has also been selected as a Women’s Bond Club Rising Star for 2024.
- CapShift extended the fellowship of Deanna Diaz (MBA ‘25), who started as a Summer fellow in 2023.
- Tricia Travis (MBA ‘25) has taken on the role of Operations Director at Grounds Krewe, an environmental nonprofit in New Orleans with a mission to reduce waste during Mardi Gras.
- Leigh Anne Statuto (MBA ‘21) is now the Executive Director, Responsible Business Center at Gabelli School of Business.
- Stacey Jewell (MBA ‘25) recently started as a Senior Associate, Sustainable Finance at Sustainable Capital Advisors. She was also nominated for The Innovation Award at EDF Summit and for the New Leaders Council Fellowship.
- Toni Skidmore (MBA ‘25) was recently named New Yorker of the Week by NYC news channel Spectrum News/NY1.
- Mike Conway (MBA ‘21) has been working over the last year and a half as a Project Delivery Manager at SolarKal.
Wedding Bells & Babies
- Mike Conway (MBA ‘21) welcomed Lucia Grace Conway, born March 20, 2024.
- Maureen (Mo) Abbas (McCarthy) (MBA ‘20) and her husband welcomed baby Ruby Abbas to the world on March 3rd, 2024.
- Kat Malek-Hood (MBA ‘22) is now the proud parent of new baby Emilia!
- Kristin Hanczor (MBA ‘20) and her husband Brian welcomed their first child, Shannon Joyce Golger, to the world on 8/8/24, coming in at 8lbs 12oz and a long 22 inches!
- Veronica Johnson (MBA ‘21) was married on 8/24/24!
- Aaron Hedlin (Karp) (MBA ‘24) and his wife welcomed Lior Hudson Hedlin, born August 13th, 2024.
- Luke Olson (MBA ‘18) welcomed new baby Elliot on August 10th!
GET ENGAGED!
Connecting with Sustainability Experts
Our students and alums continue to have insightful conversations with sustainability leaders on The Impact Report podcast. Check out these recent episodes featuring our alums!
We did it again!
For the fourth year in a row, the MBA in Sustainability Program at Bard College has been awarded the number one rank for Best Green MBAs by The Princeton Review. This year, Bard's program also ranked #1 in The Review's Best MBA for Nonprofits, surpassing the MBA programs at Harvard, Columbia, Yale and Stanford. The Review's rankings follow on the Bard program's recent #3 worldwide position in the Better World MBA global assessment.
Click here to read more!
Help us Find Future Leaders
As we recruit our next group of students to rewire the world with clean energy, reimagine the global food system and reinvent finance, we invite you to be part of the process. Please encourage folks who want to be part of this work to join us at one of our upcoming admissions events to learn more. There are two more deadlines to apply for fall 2025: February 15 and April 15.
