Faculty News

ENVS Professor Wins 2025 Teaching with Technology Award

Liz Holland — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:52:54 +0000

ENVS Professor Wins 2025 Teaching with Technology Award Liz Holland Thu, 10/09/2025 - 11:52

Originally published through the ��'s Center for Teaching and Learning.

Each year, ASSETT awards the Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award to a faculty member who was nominated by their peers and students for their commitment to teaching with technology. For 2024-25 the award goes to Lee Frankel-Goldwater, a devoted social innovator and environmental educator, who has harnessed technology as an educator in novel ways. The CTL had the privilege to interview Lee about the projects he has undertaken in teaching with technology as well as his future aspirations.

Early Career

Lee has a background in computer science, and he always had “a proclivity for using technology in novel contexts.” Although, like many computer scientists, he worked in industry at the start, he began to feel unfulfilled by this work. He always cared about teaching, and so he decided to get his PhD to pursue that more. During his PhD, he got involved with the CTL when he was teaching for continuing education as a Graduate Part Time Instructor (GPTI) in environmental studies and got his graduate teaching certificate.

Even this early on in his career, he was thinking about incorporating technology into his teaching. His reasons for using technology in the classroom included the fact that he values play and innovation, and, as he says, ultimately “it's really my curiosity for the way technology can be used to do things that you've never done before.”

Once hired as faculty at CU, Lee felt liberated to design and lead projects that address a need that is not currently being met. Now, without the expectation of publishing research, he could set his sights on starting programs that he felt were needed at the university.

Teaching Excellence and Onboarding Program

He spearheaded Continuing Education’s Teaching Excellence Onboarding Program which was informed by his earlier experiences teaching. He recognized that “the ability to develop a new class is a very specialized skill,” yet every time he needed to do this, he found the resources and guidance to be insufficient. When he became a faculty member, he began modeling course design for his GPTIs and then slowly developing a short program for them, and he “saw the potential for a program like that to scale across the university.” So, he partnered with his colleagues at Continuing Education to develop an onboarding program to help instructors who were new to developing classes for online education.

AI Literacy Ambassadors

When the emergence of AI became prevalent, Lee noticed that many people in academia were operating within their own silos. He saw that there were many stakeholders who had the potential to make incredible contributions to the conversation about AI, yet they weren't talking to one another. He had studied network and collaboration principles in his PhD, and he wanted to see if he could apply those frameworks to incite social change.

In 2024 he tested these frameworks by spearheading the creation of a program sponsored by ASSETT and the CTL called AI Literacy Ambassadors, which is currently in its second iteration this year. The key goals of the program were to create community and support innovations in teaching in the age of AI. Importantly, the conversations were to encourage interdisciplinary thinking and remove the taboos associated with discussing this topic.

“I wanted to help create a space where people can see different perspectives and illuminate different ways of thinking about the problem. So even if they make the same choices that they would have, they understand how that fits into the greater whole.”

BuffsCreate

Lee believes in a concept called authentic learning, where it is important that “what we do in the classroom ideally gears towards as practical or as real as it can be, (it) models the real-world experience as closely as it can.” Every semester in his media studies course Lee has been using BuffsCreate to make a harvest website where everyone in the class as well as the public can see the work of each student.

Other Projects and Leadership Principles

Lee has been involved with several other projects, including the Savory Global Institute, with several international projects with the Sustainability Laboratory, and an initiative with the Boulder Food Rescue. He feels that at the heart of his contributions to those projects, it wasn’t necessarily his background in computer science that drove his work in them but rather what he knew about systems thinking, which he elaborated on saying “nothing exists in isolation. ... things aren’t linear.” When you can see the whole system, it is easier to use technology as a tool to impact the system in a positive way.

Future Projects and Interests

Lee has developed several innovative programs, but he has more that he wants to work on. He is interested in working on study abroad programs that relate to sustainability. If he were to dawn an entirely separate career hat, he mentioned his interest in community-oriented, local, clean energy transitions.

Lee, like many innovators and social entrepreneurs, is driven by so many questions. Some that continue to motivate him are, as he put it “will we as humanity reach our potential? And will that potential be one that’s filled with beauty and togetherness, or repeat the wheel of destructiveness?” He believes in the potential that humans have to make things better. “We have all these social and environmental challenges we are facing. And yet I believe in the beauty of what we have inside and the potential of what we could be…That we get past this industrial infancy that we’re in to something that’s beyond that. How do we do that? I think about that all the time.”

He highlights the fact that each person should make their contribution without trying to shoulder the weight of the entire world. “What role can I play in that as one in 7 plus billion people? How can I be a part of that whole in the most effective way, without trying to take responsibility for all? Because that’s not any of our jobs…it’s a collective act.” He asks these questions with genuine curiosity and an intention to answer them the best he can.

“How do we do it? Can we do it? I have to believe that we can. What is the innovation, what is the thought process, the novelty, that could help us do it? Clearly, we haven’t figured out the exact right sauce yet. But I think we have the ingredients.”

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ENVS Professor's Research Wins National Prize

Liz Holland — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:53:18 +0000

ENVS Professor's Research Wins National Prize Liz Holland Mon, 09/29/2025 - 14:53

Originally published in Colorado Arts and Science Magazine by Clint Talbott on April 21, 2025.

Widespread agricultural diversification could improve the health of the world’s environment and that of its people, a landmark study published last year found.

Zia Mehrabi, assistant professor of environmental studies at the ��, alongside a large group of international researchers, has been named the U.S. national champion for the Frontiers Planet Prize, the Frontiers Research Foundation announced today.

As one of 19 national champions, Mehrabi and team are in contention to be named one of three international champions, each of whom will receive $1 million in funding to advance their research. The international champions will be announced at the Frontiers Planet Prize ceremony in Switzerland in June.

The Frontiers Planet Prize celebrates breakthroughs in Earth system and planetary science that “address these challenges and enable society to stay within the safe boundaries of the planet’s ecosystem.” The prize puts scientific rigor and ingenuity at its heart, helping researchers worldwide accelerate society toward a green renaissance, the Frontiers Research Foundation says.

Professor Jean-Claude Burgelman, director of the Frontiers Planet Prize, said the planet faces immense threats that require bold, transformative solutions rooted in evidence and validated by science.

“Innovative yet scalable solutions are the only way for us to ensure healthy lives on a healthy planet,” Burgelman said. “By spotlighting the most groundbreaking research, we are helping scientists bring their work to the international stage and provide the scientific consensus needed to guide our actions and policies.”

Mehrabi, who leads the Better Planet Laboratory, was recognized, alongside his co-authors, for an article published last year in the journal Science titled “Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture.”

Laura Vang Rasmussen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and Ingo Grass of the University of Hohenheim in Germany were lead authors of the paper, which had 58 co-authors. Claire Kremen of the University of British Columbia was a senior author and co-principal investigator on the study.

The researchers found that diversifying crops and animals and improving habitat, soil and water conservation on individual farms can improve biodiversity while improving or, at a minimum, not coming at a cost to yields. Additionally, diversified farming can yield social benefits and improve food security—showing improved food access or a reduced number of hungry months, for example, particularly in smallholder systems.

The more diversification measures farms employed, the more benefits accrued, researchers observed. Essentially, the team found evidence to move toward agriculture that more closely reflects natural systems.

“If you look at how ecosystems operate, it’s not just plants growing alone. It’s not just animals or soil,” Mehrabi said last year. “It’s all of these things working together.”

Using data from 2,655 farms across 11 countries and covering five continents, the researchers combined qualitative methods and statistical models to analyze 24 different datasets. Each dataset studied farm sites with varying levels of diversification, including farms without any diversification practices. This allowed the team to assess the effects of applying more diversification strategies.

Diversified farming differs from the dominant model of agriculture: growing single crops or one animal on large tracts of land. That efficient, “monoculture” style of farming is a hallmark of agriculture after the Green Revolution, which reduced global famine by focusing on high-yield crops that rely on fertilizers and pesticides.

“The Green Revolution did many, many great things, but it came with a lot of costs,” Mehrabi says, noting that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides harm the environment.

Also, to increase labor productivity, large farms rely on mechanization, which tends to “replace people with machines.”

“So, the idea of trying to engineer nature into our agricultural systems is somewhat antithetical to the whole way we think about agricultural development,” Mehrabi says.

Making a case for a different way of doing agriculture is one thing. Implementing it on a widespread basis is something else. The dominant view, fostered by “big ag” (short for agriculture), is that “if you want to do ag, you’ve got to do it this way,” Mehrabi says.

“Our work challenges that idea, but it’s a bit of a David-and-Goliath situation,” he adds. “We have the stone, but it hasn’t yet landed.”

But it’s necessary to confront Goliath, Mehrabi contends, noting that agriculture affects all the things people care about environmentally, including climate change, water security, biodiversity, pollution, land use and habitat destruction.

A third of the Earth’s land is used for agriculture, and about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions stem from agriculture, he notes. Climate change has reduced agricultural yields by as much as 5% to 10% in the last four decades, research has shown.

“If we want to do something about environmental issues, agriculture is one of the big buckets that we need to really, really start in.”

Separate from the research published in Science, Mehrabi has done modeling of the future state of agriculture globally if the world continues business-as-usual farming. He found that in the next century, the number of farms is likely to be cut in half and the average size of farms would likely double.

Given that, along with what scientists know about the loss of natural ecosystems as farm sizes increase, “the future looks a little bit bleak,” Mehrabi says. But this new research shows it could be different.

Though he does not suggest that all farms must be small farms, he does advise that agriculture strive to diversify systems that have been “massively depleted and massively simplified.”

�� the Frontiers Planet Prize, Mehrabi says he’s gratified to be recognized as one of 19 national champions. Additionally, he underscores the importance of the Frontiers Research Foundation’s financial commitment to this kind of research, calling it a “signal” to other funding entities that might follow suit.

Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation on Earth Day 2022, the prize encourages universities worldwide to nominate their top three scientists working on understanding and putting forward pathways to stay within the safe operating space of nine planetary boundaries that are outlined by the Stockholm Resilience Center.

These nominations are then vetted at the national level, and the top scientists face an independent jury of 100—a group of renowned sustainability and planetary health experts chaired by Professor Johan Rockström—who vote for the National and International Champions.

Read a guest opinion by Zia Mehrabi and co-authors at this link. See a Q&A with Mehrabi about adding carbon-footprint labels on food at this link.

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ENVS PhD Candidate and Associate Professor Publish Paper on Thailand’s Role in the Future of Alternative Proteins

Liz Holland — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:45:49 +0000

ENVS PhD Candidate and Associate Professor Publish Paper on Thailand’s Role in the Future of Alternative Proteins Liz Holland Thu, 02/20/2025 - 09:45

Thailand’s Role in the Future of Alternative Proteins

The global food system is undergoing a transformation, and alternative proteins—such as plant-based, insect-based, and cultured (lab-grown) proteins—are at the forefront of this shift. As concerns over environmental sustainability, food security, and ethical food production grow, many countries are exploring their role in shaping the future of protein production. A new study by ENVS PhD candidate Waverly Eichhorst and ENVS Associate Professor Peter Newton, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, examines Thailand’s potential as a leader in producing cultured protein (CP).

Why Thailand?

Thailand has a rapidly industrializing economy, a strong presence in global food production, and an interest in sustainability. However, the development of cultured protein technologies in middle- and low-income countries remains largely unexplored. This research seeks to understand how Thailand can foster an innovation system that supports cultured protein production.

Key Findings from the Study

Eichhorst and Newton used a technological innovation systems framework to assess Thailand’s current landscape for CP development. Their mixed-methods approach included a qualitative document review and semi-structured interviews with 17 industry experts. Their findings highlight both opportunities and challenges in the country’s path to becoming a leader in alternative proteins.

Opportunities for Growth

Initial Industry Engagement: Various actors, including government agencies, private companies, and research institutions, are beginning to explore CP technologies.
Sustainability & Food Security Benefits: Cultured protein could reduce environmental pressures from traditional agriculture while improving food security.
Transnational Collaboration Potential: Leveraging global expertise could help Thailand build its CP sector.

Challenges to Overcome

Regulatory Approval: Thailand lacks clear regulations for CP products, which could slow innovation.
Manufacturing & Technical Expertise: The country needs more specialized knowledge and infrastructure to scale CP production.
Consumer Acceptance: Widespread adoption of CP products will depend on cultural perceptions and market demand.

What’s Next?

A couple of years ago, and before the paper was published, Waverly travelled to the Netherlands to share the team's preliminary findings with a diverse audience at the International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat in Maastricht, the Netherlands. They received some great feedback on their work during the conference, and Waverly was also able connect with other researchers conducting research on cultured proteins from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.

For Thailand to establish itself as a leader in cultured protein, stronger stakeholder engagement is needed. The study suggests that transnational partnerships could help bridge gaps in expertise and resources, while further research into consumer attitudes and market potential will be essential.

As global food systems evolve, Thailand has the opportunity to position itself at the cutting edge of sustainable protein production. With strategic investment and collaboration, the country could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of food.

🔗 Read the full paper here: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

A new study by ENVS PhD candidate Waverly Eichhorst and ENVS Associate Professor Peter Newton, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, explores Thailand’s potential as a leader in cultured protein (CP) production. As the global food system undergoes transformation, alternative proteins—including plant-based, insect-based, and lab-grown options—are gaining prominence due to concerns over environmental sustainability, food security, and ethical food production. The study examines how Thailand, with its strong agricultural sector and emerging food technology landscape, could play a key role in shaping the future of protein production.

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Undergraduate Chair Selected for RIO Fellows Research Leadership Cohort

Liz Holland — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:49:10 +0000

Undergraduate Chair Selected for RIO Fellows Research Leadership Cohort Liz Holland Fri, 12/06/2024 - 13:49

We are thrilled to announce that Undergraduate Chair and Professor Peter Newton has been selected for the 2025 Research and Innovation Office (RIO) Fellows Research Leadership cohort! This prestigious program recognizes exceptional faculty members who are eager to expand their leadership skills, foster professional growth, and make an impactful contribution to the university community. Being accepted into this program is a testament to his dedication to both his own academic pursuits and the broader goals of our campus community.

The 2025 RIO Fellows Research Leadership cohort offers an exciting opportunity for faculty to engage in three multiday retreats, where they will receive training in leadership development, research strategies, and collaborative skills. Fellows also gain access to individualized coaching, helping them achieve personal and professional milestones. These retreats are designed to support long-term career goals while strengthening the cohesion of the faculty network.

Professor Newton shared his excitement about the program: “I'm honored to be selected for the 2025 cohort of RIO Faculty Fellows. I am looking forward to building my leadership skills through this professional development opportunity, and to building meaningful connections with other faculty across campus.”

We couldn’t be more excited for Professor Newton to join this dynamic group of colleagues. His participation in the 2025 cohort will undoubtedly strengthen both his leadership potential and the impact he can have across our department and across campus. Congratulations again, Professor Newton—we look forward to seeing all the amazing ways you will grow through this opportunity!

We are excited to announce that Professor Pete Newton has been selected for the 2025 RIO Fellows Research Leadership cohort. This prestigious program offers a unique opportunity for faculty to enhance their leadership skills, engage in professional development, and build connections across campus.

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Dr. Lambert and Rosie Sanchez interviewed featured in film about the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 18:24:18 +0000

Dr. Lambert and Rosie Sanchez interviewed featured in film about the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 07/20/2024 - 12:24

Dr. Joanna Lambert and current PhD Student, Alma "Rosie" Sanchez have been working for years on the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative. Now, a film series tells the success story of this initiaitve, which is the first time a federally protected endangered species has been reintroduced via a democratic vote/ballot initiative. The first film of the series features both Dr. Lambert and Rosie! It premiered on July 18, and was followed by a speaker panel in which Dr. Lambert participated (as shown in image).

See the film trailer below and learn more about this incredible iniative here.

[video:https://vimeo.com/979366728]

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ENVS Chair, Dr. Max Boykoff interviews for World Economic Forum podcast

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:47:25 +0000

ENVS Chair, Dr. Max Boykoff interviews for World Economic Forum podcast Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/16/2024 - 12:47

Dr. Max Boykoff, ENVS Chair, and Dr. Beth Osnes, who is the Director of Graduate Studies in Theatre & Performance Studies at CU were interviewed by the World Economic Forum's Radio Davos podcast about how they’ve been immersing students in the use of comedy to communicate the realities of climate change for about a decade now, and studying the results. Their findings point to a happy conclusion. “This can help break down defenses,” Boykoff said. “This can help us come together.”

Read more about Dr. Boykoff and Dr. Osnes' work to incorporate comedy in climate change communications in the World Economic Forums' blog here or listen to their intereview here.

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Dr. Jill Litt's research on environmental health lands in NY Times and Science

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 21:13:33 +0000

Dr. Jill Litt's research on environmental health lands in NY Times and Science Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/03/2024 - 15:13

Dr. Litt's work has been featured in a New York Times article on the connections between health and gardening. The article write the following about Dr. Litt's work: "Gardening, especially in community or allotment gardens, can help people build social connections and combat loneliness. In the Colorado study, participants talked about the relationships they developed and said they felt more bonded to their community through gardening. They’re fostering social connection. They’re getting more involved,” Dr. Litt said. “They talk about sense of belonging. They talk about shared learning. All of these processes are really important for mental health.”

Dr. Litt's work is also cited in a separate article, published by Science, about the science of loneliness. The article details the study, called RECETAS, which tries to create an environment where deep connections can emerge. Its name means both “recipes” and “prescriptions” in Spanish and is an acronym for Re-imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces.

Read the full articles linked above.

Photo credit: New York Times

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Dr. Zia Mehrabi co-publishes in 'Nature Ecology & Evolution'

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:10:43 +0000

Dr. Zia Mehrabi co-publishes in 'Nature Ecology & Evolution' Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/28/2024 - 20:10

Earlier this month, Dr. Zia Mehrabi and team published an excellent paper in 'Nature Ecology & Evolution'.

Intensive agriculture with high reliance on pesticides and fertilizers constitutes a major strategy for ‘feeding the world’. However, such conventional intensifcation is linked to diminishing returns and can result in ‘intensification traps’—production declines triggered by the negative feedback of biodiversity loss at high input levels

The paper addresses the double losses in biodiversity and food security associated with these intensification traps - showing that, across a number of contexts, large biodiversity gains could be achieved for small crop productivity losses, and in many contexts loosing biodiversity leads to an intensification trap -- where crop yield is lower with higher levels of inputs.

Give it a read here!

See Zia's other publications here.

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On April 4, ENVS will welcome Dr. Naomi Oreskes as the 2024 Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 16:49:21 +0000

On April 4, ENVS will welcome Dr. Naomi Oreskes as the 2024 Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/14/2024 - 10:49

Join us in welcome Dr. Naomi Oreskes as this year's Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar! We are thrilled to hear from Dr. Oreskes on her talk, Epistemic Privilege and the Gender of Climate Change Denial.

�� Naomi:

Naomi Oreskes is Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action. You can learn more here.

Event Details:

On Thursday April 4, ENVS will host a social hour, including lunch, with Dr. Oreskes at 2:00pm in the SEEC Atrium. Following this, Dr. Oreskes will present on her work at 3:00pm in SEEC C120.

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Open Lecture Positions

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 21:36:39 +0000

Open Lecture Positions Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/29/2023 - 15:36

The Department of Environmental Studies (ENVS) at the �� (CU Boulder) is seeking lecturers to teach the following three undergraduate courses in the Spring 2024 semester (January 16 – May 8, 2024). The three courses are listed below, together with the class meeting patterns (days and times). Lecturers should hold a masters or PhD in a related subject. Class materials (e.g., syllabi, assignments, PowerPoint presentations) are available from previously-taught iterations of each class. All classes will be taught in-person.

ENVS 3020 Advanced Writing in Environmental Studies – up to 19 students – T/TH 8:30-9:45am
ENVS 3034 Foundations of Environmental Justice – up to 75 students – MW 2:30-3:20pm (supported by a graduate student Teaching Assistant)
ENVS/EBIO 3040 Conservation Biology – up to 75 students – T/TH 9:30-10:45am (supported by a graduate student Teaching Assistant)

Interested applicants should contact Amie Redding (ENVS Program Coordinator) at: Amie.Redding@colorado.edu. In your application email, please include: 1) your CV, and 2) a one-page (maximum) letter expressing your interest, qualifications, and experience. Within your letter, please indicate which of the three courses you are interested in teaching.

Compensation for these positions is $6,740 per course.

Please submit your application as soon as possible. We will begin reviewing applications on October 16, 2023 but the positions will remain open until filled.

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