Mary Whitney, Ph.D.
Hometown : Pittsburgh, PA
ACADEMIC AREAS OF INTEREST
Organizational and institutional change, renewable energy policy, environmental studies, informal environmental education, sustainability, collaboratives.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Whitney has spent the last 15 years in environmental education, working primarily with citizens, teachers and their students. As sustainability director for Chatham’s campuses, she leads collaboration on sustainability practices at the university, works to help Chatham meet its carbon neutrality goals, and teaches environmental studies and civic engagement. Dr. Whitney is one of the founders of GEM, the Green Education Movement, a professional support and education organization for environmental education practitioners in Pittsburgh. She holds a doctorate in Sustainability Education from Prescott College, a Master of Public Policy and Management from the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, and is a graduate of Chatham College for Women at Chatham University.
EDUCATION
- PhD, Sustainability Education, Prescott College (Prescott, AZ), 2013
- MPPM Non-Profit Mgt, GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), 2003
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Energy Champions (2001) www.energychampion.org
ORGANIZATIONS
- Ukrainian Cultural and Humanitarian Institute : Board of Directors '04-present
- Rachel Carson Homestead Association: Membership Committee ’99-’03
- Rachel Carson Homestead Association: Development Committee ’00-03
- Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators: Conference Planning Committee 2000,
- Chatham College Alumnae Association: Diversity Committee Chair ’02-’05
- Chatham College Alumnae Association: Nominating Committee ’99-’05
- Expanding Your Horizons in Math & Science, Pittsburgh Planning Committee: Career Panels Chair ’98,’99.
- Expanding Your Horizons in Math & Science, Pittsburgh Planning Committee: Registration Chair ’00, ’01.
- Expanding Your Horizons in Math & Science, Pittsburgh Planning Committee: Development Director ’00, ’01.
- Rural Wind Project Advisory Board – ’99-’02
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Serve as Chair of Chatham Climate Committee: 2009-present
- Served as Co-chair of Financial Stability Committee ’05 - Urban Ecology Collaborative:
- Served as Co-chair, of Education Working Group, Urban Ecology Collaborative '08
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
- Environmental Citizenship: Issues, Action and Civic Engagement for Undergraduates. 37th North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE) Annual Conference, Wichita, KS October 2008.
- Small Budget, Big Impact: Leverage Networks, Partners and Creativity for Project Success. With Allyson Lowe, PA Center for Women, Politics and Public Policy, Chatham University. 95th American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, January 2009.
- Calculating and Communicating the Carbon Benefit of Campus Trees. With Mark Twery, US Forest Service and Jenn Andrews, Clean Air-Cool Planet. National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference. College Park, MD, March 2010.
- Calculating and Communicating the Carbon Benefit of Campus Trees. With Claire Roby, Clean Air-Cool Planet. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2010. Denver, CO, October 2010.
- Whitney, Mary "Youth-Led Community Problem Solving" Pennsylvania Service Learning Alliance Annual Conference (Penn State) 2003
- Whitney, Mary and Magnusson, C. "The Wind Farm Game: Role-playing Energy Education". NE Sustainable Energy Association Energy In Schools Conference. (Albany, NY) 2002
- Whitney, Mary. "Energy Pioneers" NE Sustainable Energy Association Energy In Schools Conference (Albany, NY) 2001.
- Whitney, Mary. "High Performance Schools Project". Empowerment 2000: Green Schools Conference . (Madison, WI) 2000.