To reduce climate related risk, organizations are now incorporating sustainability initiatives into their strategic planning and day-to-day operations. The success or failure of these initiatives is based on the ability of individuals to lead and manage the change process. The ability to lead change within organizations is essential for solving the complex and urgent challenges of our time, however the majority of change efforts have been shown to fail. The techniques used to successfully lead change across different industries and sectors (private, nonprofit, public) can be taught, learned, and practiced. This course will demonstrate why change efforts often fail, communicate common pitfalls, and introduce strategic approaches for leading successful change that can be applied at any scale. This course emphasizes learning through doing where students will practice and apply concepts, give and receive feedback, and practice self-reflection to grow as leaders of organizational change for climate impact. The course will cover what is known as “the heart of change”, with particular focus on how you can “switch” your team on to reduce climate impact and inspire sustainable change.

This course examines global resilience and restoration as critical approaches to advancing community and planetary health amid environmental, social, and public health challenges. Students explore how communities, ecosystems, and institutions respond to disruption, recover from harm, and adapt to future risks across diverse global contexts. Emphasis is placed on the interconnectedness of human, environmental, and animal health, as well as the social, structural, and ethical factors that shape vulnerability and resilience. Using applied case studies and systems-based thinking, students analyze innovative strategies for strengthening community well-being, restoring ecological systems, and reducing health inequities exacerbated by climate change and environmental degradation. The course integrates theory and practice to prepare students to contribute thoughtfully to resilience-building and restoration efforts at local, regional, and global scales.

Climate changes. It always has and always will. However, scientific evidence proves that over the past half century, human activities are the primary driver of change in the Earth’s climate system. The course explores recent evidence of past and projected future climate change, the associated climate risks and impacts on our interconnected social and ecological systems on regional and global scales. The course also considers prospects for addressing the climate crisis via sustainable development with a focus on human health and economic development. You will learn problem solving through critical analysis and assessment of climate change indicators, climate risks, and sustainable development options. The purpose of the course is to better understand the complex and evolving nature of climate change and associated impacts, and explore frameworks that can be used to apply this knowledge to climate action at local and regional scales.