Sustainability Leadership Fellows

Colorado State University

The Sustainability Leadership Fellows program trains early career scientists, who will be solving the grand challenges of sustainability, have greater impact, reach broader audiences, and think more expansively about their work and its role in the world. It prepares future innovators and thought leaders with state-of-the-art science communication and career development training.

Department/Institute/Unit: School of Global Environmental Sustainability
Institution: Colorado State University
City: Fort Collins
Country: United States
State/Province: Colorado
Program Leader(s): Aleta Weller, Diana H. Wall
Point(s) of Contact: Aleta Weller
Contact Email(s): aleta.weller@colostate.edu
Year Initiated: 2011
Currently Active: Yes
Program Scale: Campus
Participant Model: Cohort based
Participant Eligibility: Ph.D. Student, Postdoc
Time Commiment for Participants: 41-60 hours
Requirements for Participation: Mandatory participation for full year: required orientation, required workshops at first and mid-year, required attendance at 4 of 5 additional trainings, other networking optional.
Application Frequency: Yearly
Application Process: Competitive application process, unergoes multi-person review and ranking. Final decision meeting informed by ranked reviews.
Program Recruitment Strategies: Campus listservs, campus posters, word of mouth from current and former Fellows and SoGES affiliate faculty
Cost to Participant: No
Funding or Support Available to Participants: No
Amount or Types of Support Available to Participants (if applicable): N/A
Mentorship Model: Ongoing individual and group mentorship with program leads
Number of Participants in Program: 20-29
How Program is Funded: Internal
Other Program Partners: Media, campus leaders, policy professionals, COMPASS
Number of Program Staff: 1
Is the Program Credit Bearing or Credentialing: No
Is there a Program Evaluation Conducted: Yes
Type(s) of Evaluation(s) Conducted: Pre- and post- surveys for the initial workshop; extensive end-of-year survey

Blog Writing

Each Fellow writes a blog post and provides peer review for the post of another Fellow. Provides practice with writing scientific narrative that is accessible, fun, and interesting to a

Communicating your Research to the Provost

Timed communication exercise for Fellows to describe and sell their research to the CSU Provost in a social setting – prep for Fellows on University leadership structures, Provost leads a

Data Visualization for the Rest of Us

(Discontinued 2020). Best practices of visual communication and data visualization, including how people interpret visual messages, graphic design basics, and do’s and don’t’s of presenting scientific information in visual formats.

Fellows Open House

A social mixer held to welcome the newly selected cohort of Fellows and celebrate the recently completed year of outgoing Fellows. All past cohorts are invited to attend.

Fellows Orientation

Orientation meeting designed around building the cohort network and establishing relationships.