For her commitment to sustainability education and engagement, Dr. Judith Meyer, Missouri State University geography professor, earned the 2018 MSU Sustainability Award.

Awarded by MSU’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, it was one of sixteen awards given out recently at the 17th Choose Environmental Excellence Awards Luncheon in Springfield.

Engaging students in in sustainability

Both inside and outside the classroom, Meyer inspires students to be better environmentalists and global stewards.

Her Principles of Sustainability course (GRY 108) gives MSU students the foundational knowledge they need to be successful in the growing field of sustainability studies. This course is the core of the sustainability minor now available to all MSU students.

GRY 108 students must complete a semester project. It may be a research project or volunteering for an organization associated with sustainability.

Every semester, GRY 108 students volunteer at the following organizations or agencies: Discovery Center of Springfield, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, James River Basin Partnership, City of Springfield’s department of environmental services, Ozarks Food Harvest, Habitat for Humanity and Springfield Community Gardens.

Read about Meyer’s research on Mind’s Eye

Miranda Jordan, a geography, geology and planning graduate student, credits Meyer for changing her perspective on sustainability in one semester.

“Her ideas on sustainability within the environment has expanded my general knowledge and inspired me to view the world from many different perspectives, such as from a scientist’s point of view, an engineer’s point of view and an artist’s point of view,” Jordan said. “Her style of teaching will continue to inspire future generations of students to review their perspectives on the natural world and leave a lighter footprint on the ground we hold sacred.”

About the Choose Environmental Excellence Awards

The Choose Environmental Excellence Awards recognizes the efforts, dedication and accomplishments of individuals from different organizations around Springfield in caring for the area’s natural environment. This year’s luncheon took place April 27 at the White River Conference Center.

For more information about the 2018 awards and participating organizations, read the news release.