Advancing, Equity, Justice, and Wellness
Our work to respond to climate change and ecological degradation is grounded in the fundamental importance of ensuring that all people are able to flourish. One of Vassar’s core assumptions is that people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds can and must work together to create an equitable and just society. Moreover, as we tackle the challenges we face, we have an abiding focus on wellness. In particular, we harness the life-giving power of nature as we live on our beautiful campus.
Talks by Distinguished Guests
Ryan Jobson, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago, examines how the rise and fall of the oil industry impacts post-colonial nationalist visions of the future in Trinidad and Tobago. Jobson asks us to consider if there can be a viable political and economic future for Trinidad and Tobago without oil, a question that should be relevant to us all living in a fossil fuel-based global economy.
A talk by Rhiana Gunn-Wright, a Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and chief policy architect of the Green New Deal—a policy framework that puts justice at the center of climate action.
A lecture by Dr. Alex Barron, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Smith College, who has designed climate policies in Congress and worked with the Obama and Biden Administrations.
Initiatives and Programs
Vassar Nature Rx
Vassar Nature Rx (VNRx) is a campus-wide initiative to foster the health and well-being of the Vassar community through engagement with nature. Convened by the Office of Sustainability and the Arboretum Committee, VNRx draws together partners from across the campus who engage nature and its healing powers in their work, research, and teaching.
Environmental Cooperative Programs with City of Poughkeepsie Students
The Environmental Cooperative is dedicated to fostering engagement in the natural world through events, learning opportunities, volunteering, and collaborations with local and regional organizations. Learn more.