Implementing interdisciplinary sustainability education with the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus

Authors

Chelsie Romulo, University of Northern ColoradoFollow
Bhawani Venkataraman, The New School
Susan Caplow, University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul
Shamili Ajgaonkar, College of DuPage
Craig R. Allen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Aavudai Anandhi, Florida A & M University
Steven W. Anderson, University of Northern Colorado
Caterina Belle Azzarello, University of Northern Colorado
Katja Brundiers, University of Freiburg
Eunice Blavascunas, Whitman College
Jenny M. Dauer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Daniel L. Druckenbrod, Rider University
Ennea Fairchild, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lydia R. Horne, Unity Environmental University
Kyungsun Lee, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Marizvkuru Mwale, University of Venda
John Mischler, Goshen College
Emily Pappo, Smithsonian Institution
Nirav S. Patel, Binghamton University--SUNY
Nicole D. Sintov, Ohio State University
Carla S. Ramsdell, Appalachian State University
Shirley G. Vincent, Vincent Evaluation Consulting LLC

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-18-2024

Abstract

Growth in the green jobs sector has increased demand for college graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce with interdisciplinary sustainability skills. Simultaneously, scholarly calls for interdisciplinary collaboration in the service of addressing the societal challenges of enhancing resilience and sustainability have also increased in recent years. However, developing, executing, and assessing interdisciplinary content and skills at the post-secondary level has been challenging. The objective of this paper is to offer the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus as a powerful way to achieve sustainability competencies and matriculate graduates who will be equipped to facilitate the transformation of the global society by meeting the targets set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The paper presents 10 curricular design examples that span multiple levels, including modules, courses, and programs. These modules enable clear evaluation and assessment of key sustainability competencies, helping to prepare graduates with well-defined skillsets who are equipped to address current and future workforce needs.

Cross-Department Submission

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, EAS Faculty Work, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Psychological Sciences, SPS Student Work

Comments

Copyright 2024 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). First published by Springer Nature:

Romulo, C., Venkataraman, B., Caplow, S. et al. Implementing interdisciplinary sustainability education with the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11, 928 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03332-7

Recommended Citation

Romulo, Chelsie; Venkataraman, Bhawani; Caplow, Susan; Ajgaonkar, Shamili; Allen, Craig R.; Anandhi, Aavudai; Anderson, Steven W.; Azzarello, Caterina Belle; Brundiers, Katja; Blavascunas, Eunice; Dauer, Jenny M.; Druckenbrod, Daniel L.; Fairchild, Ennea; Horne, Lydia R.; Lee, Kyungsun; Mwale, Marizvkuru; Mischler, John; Pappo, Emily; Patel, Nirav S.; Sintov, Nicole D.; Ramsdell, Carla S.; and Vincent, Shirley G., "Implementing interdisciplinary sustainability education with the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus" (2024). GGS Faculty Publications. 1.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/ggsfaculty/1