Molly Hamm
Secondary Education – English; Leadership and International Studies
K-State College of Education
How did you arrive at being environmentally aware and interested in sustainability?
When I was first elected as the Director of Community and Internal Relations for the K-State Greek community, I recognized that, although Greeks performed service, we were not necessarily reflecting on significant social problems as we did so; instead, we were cutting checks to causes about which we knew little. Recognizing this void, I wanted to connect the Greek community with a global issue, and I saw environmental sustainability as a perfect fit because it is a borderless problem requiring both individual and collective action. Admittedly, at that time I knew little about the topic and embarked on a journey to learn as much as I could about the various issues that sustainability encompasses. My true passion for sustainability came from my desire to implement change in the Greek community and also from my commitment to learning as I took advantage of every opportunity to research the issue.
What is your personal sustainability research about?
During my time as an undergraduate, my personal sustainability research revolved around finding ways to encourage sororities and fraternities to become more environmentally aware and to minimize their personal and chapter impacts on the environment. More broadly, I am interested in how education plays a role in sustainability. I believe that education is the first step in pushing people to act and create change. Social issues need to be accessible to the general public, and this requires education and educators (from certified teachers to young activists) who are willing to create meaningful learning opportunities to engage people in the issue.
What are some of the most innovative ideas you have seen relating to sustainability on campus or locally?
I was thrilled when K-State decided to create the position of Director of Sustainability, which showed institutional support for environmental sustainability. I was even more thrilled that Ben Champion was the faculty member selected for the position because Ben is more than just a practitioner, he is a thinker. I strongly believe that it is really important to have somebody in this position that is interested in going beyond the basics, such as campus recycling (although these are important foundational elements), to thinking about the complexities of sustainability as it relates to broader issues. In that same vein, I'm proud of the students who have coordinated an organization called the Coalition which brings together campus groups and campus leaders who are working for social justice. I think any innovative sustainability effort must not only examine environmental sustainability, but also social and economic sustainability. The Coalition does this by recognizing that all of these issues– poverty, fair trade, racism, global health, etc. – interact with one another to create the problems that we see today.
Given the various experiences that students have, how would you design a class that would resonate with them to advance the concept and practice of sustainability?
The most important thing to remember is that the needs of communities are entirely different based on factors such as geographic location and demographics. I think students need to learn how to be active in addressing the specific needs of a community, and then working with communities to solve environmental problems. And, of course, on top of the practice and service learning that students should complete, I think any course on sustainability needs to have a holistic focus and show who is most affected by environmental problems, who has the least access to address or correct environmental problems, and how this can and should be changed.
