June 13, 2009
Media Contact: Judy Walton, Acting Executive Director, AASHE, (859-940-2909) press@aashe.org
Paul Rowland to Head the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
AASHE is pleased to announce that Paul Rowland will assume the role of executive director on August 1, 2009. Rowland, who has been serving as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Idaho since 2006, brings to AASHE an outstanding record of administrative leadership and a life-long commitment to environmental and sustainability issues.
Geoffrey Chase, chair of the board of directors for AASHE, noted that everyone at AASHE is excited about the knowledge and experience Dr. Rowland brings, as well as his enthusiasm and understanding of AASHE’s mission. “We are very fortunate to have Paul Rowland as executive director,” Chase said, “his leadership will continue AASHE’s progress in helping institutions of higher education build a more sustainable future.”
“Serving as the executive director for AASHE is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Rowland said, “and brings me full circle to my early work as an environmental educator, which is a long-held passion. AASHE is in a critical position to provide leadership for sustainability in higher education and I am delighted to be able to work with such talented and committed individuals to carry out that role.”
Under Rowland’s leadership, the University of Idaho’s College of Education was fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and secured a U.S. News & World Report ranking among the top 100 graduate education programs in the nation. . Rowland has also served as the Dean of the School of Education at the University of Montana, Missoula, where he served on a variety of state, national committees, and task forces related to education, sustainability and education policy.
Prior to that, Rowland was at Northern Arizona University where he served as Director of the Office of Academic Assessment; Director of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Education; Associate Director of the Arizona K-12 Center; and Professor of curriculum and instruction and environmental sciences. He also served as Director of the Northern Arizona Environmental Education Resources Center and worked extensively on Native American education issues. He has served on the boards of directors of the Global Network of Environmental Education Centers, the Arizona Natural History Association and the Arboretum at Flagstaff.
Additionally, Rowland held education positions at East Carolina University in North Carolina, New Mexico State University, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Solar Energy Institute, and the State University College at Plattsburgh.
Judy Walton, the acting executive director of AASHE, noted that Rowland was an active member of EFS West, AASHE’s predecessor organization, and went on to say, “Paul’s appointment comes at a time of tremendous growth for both our organization and the campus sustainability movement. AASHE has doubled its membership and staff in the last year, and I look forward to having Paul on board to help us continue to grow and support colleges and universities throughout North America.”
Walton, who Chase described as “a tireless leader whose work helped build AASHE dramatically,” said she will take a brief sabbatical and then continue her work at AASHE. “All of us look forward to Judy’s continued involvement with AASHE” noted Chase.
About AASHE
Founded in 2006, AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. Its mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation by providing resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. AASHE membership includes colleges and universities, non-governmental organizations, and businesses. More information about AASHE is available at www.aashe.org.
