NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio at 603.283.2107

July 27, 2011 for Immediate Release

AUNE’s Conservation Psychology Institute Draws Students From Across the U.S.

Noted faculty lead research, discussion, real-world projects from July 25-29

(Keene, NH) -- Louise Bradshaw, director of education at the St. Louis Zoo, came to the Conservation Psychology Institute at Antioch University New England (AUNE) to learn about research in conservation psychology. “I’ve followed Carol Saunders’ work for many years, and I’m interested in getting a good grounding in the research,” she said.

Kristi Kenney of Berkeley, California, who works with the Oakland Museum, in Oakland, California, came to deepen knowledge in her field of ecopsychology and ecotherapy. “I’m struggling with the question: How do we apply these ideas in the real world?” she said. “How do we do activism differently?”

Mandy Ruest of Canaan, New Hampshire, has a master’s degree in counseling and an MBA in sustainability from AUNE. She’s a therapist going into the conservation field. “The institute is a nice marriage of the two,” she said.

And Amy Cabaniss, campus environmental coordinator and associate director of environmental studies certificate program at Connecticut College in Niantic, Connecticut, came to learn more about conservation psychology. “I want to see how it applies to my work,” she said.

These and eleven other students are spending the week of July 25-29 at the institute, which is taught by a group of faculty who are leaders in the field. But just as important is interaction with other students. Part of the institute’s curriculum is working in small groups to come up with solutions and options for solving real-world problems. “These applied projects will take the concept of conservation psychology and apply it to real- world conservation and sustainability challenges,” said Abigail Abrash Walton, one of the faculty members for the institute.

The faculty include:

Carol Saunders, one of the founders of conservation psychology and a member of the research faculty in AUNE’s Department of Environmental Studies.
P. Wesley Schultz, professor of psychology at California State University, San Marcos, where he teaches conservation psychology, social psychology and statistics.
Thomas Joseph Doherty, whom the New York Times called “the most prominent American advocate of a growing discipline known as ‘ecopsychology.’” An AUNE alumnus, he manages Sustainable Self, a therapy practice in Portland, Oregon.
Abigail Abrash Walton, a core faculty member in AUNE's Department of Environmental Studies, and assistant to the president for sustainability and social justice at AUNE.

This is the first Conservation Psychology Institute, which AUNE hopes will be an annual event, said AUNE President David Caruso, in welcoming the students. Conservation psychology is a crucial field of endeavor today, he said. “The challenge we’re facing is changing how people think.”

Find more information on the Conservation Psychology Institute here.

About Antioch University New England (AUNE)
Antioch University New England offers highly respected doctoral, master’s and certificate programs in education, environmental studies, management and psychology. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, this unique institution serves a thousand students each year. Our graduates have gone on to be leaders of positive change, working toward a more just and sustainable society. Founded in 1964, Antioch University New England is the oldest of Antioch University’s graduate campuses. Learn more at: www.antiochne.edu

About Antioch University
Antioch University serves more than 4,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at its five campuses in four states. Each campus offers degree programs that meet—and often anticipate—the pressing needs of its region and the wider world. The University is also home to the landmark PhD in Leadership and Change; Antioch Education Abroad, an exceptional opportunity of immersive service and study programs; and WYSO, a leading public radio affiliate and an essential source of global news and opinion.

Antioch University is a nonprofit private 501(c) (3) organization and member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.antioch.edu.

Last Updated: 8/8/11