Bard Center for Environmental Policy to Host Information Session on Master’s International Program February

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.— On Wednesday, February 25, during Peace Corps Week 2009, the Bard Center for Environmental Policy (BCEP) will host a community-wide event for returning Master’s International Program (MI) students John Stapleton and Brendan Duprey. Both served 27 months in the Peace Corps as a part of their MI degree requirements, Stapleton in El Salvador and Duprey in Bulgaria. They will complete their master’s degrees at BCEP this spring. In an effort to inspire volunteerism, break down stereotypes, broaden American perspectives, and promote global/cultural understanding and awareness, the Peace Corps encourages its return volunteers to “bring the world home.” As part of this effort, BCEP’s current MI students will give presentations on their projects, research, and experiences in El Savador and Bulgaria.

The event is free and open to the public and takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Gabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Center for Science and Computation auditorium at Bard College. Light refreshments will be provided. Following the presentation, BCEP will host an information session for students interested in the Master's International Program. An information panel will consist of BCEP faculty, admissions representatives, our very own MI students, and regional Peace Corps recruitment officer. You can pick up information, ask questions, and speak with panelists about the MI Program, including logistics about the application process and service experience. For more information about Peace Corps Week 2009, go to www.peacecorps.gov/pcweek. For more info about the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and this event, go to www.bard.edu/cep, e-mail [email protected], or call 845.758.7073.

The Bard Center for Environmental Policy (BCEP) was created in 1999 to promote education, research, and public service on critical issues pertaining to the natural and built environments. Its primary goal is to improve environmental policies by facilitating the use of the best available scientific knowledge in the policy-making process at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The Center’s premise is that to address environmental problems and pursue sustainable use of natural resources, scientists, economists, lawyers, ethicists, and policy makers must understand one another’s perspectives and values, and communicate effectively with the general public.

At the core of the Center is an innovative graduate program leading to either the master of science degree in environmental policy or a professional certificate in environmental policy. The emphasis on science-based policy enables students to progress from knowledge of the issues to the formulation of feasible, effective policy responses. The program’s unique combination of interdisciplinary modular study, a full-time internship, and intensive thesis research allows students to delve deeply into individual areas of interest.

One cohort of approximately 20 students matriculates each year, leading to a close rapport between students and faculty members. The intensive, campus-based first-year curriculum requires students to synthesize information from a range of disciplines and sources. The value of this approach has been recognized through established partnerships with Pace Law School, the Bard Master of Arts in Teaching Program, and the Peace Corps.

Eban S. Goodstein was recently appointed the director of BCEP and will begin in fall 2009. Goodstein is a professor of economics at Lewis and Clark College and codirector of the National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions, a grassroots initiative that aims to engage more than a million Americans in a solutions-driven dialogue on climate change during the first 100 days of the Obama administration. “BCEP is a unique graduate program that is training leaders for the heroic tasks we face, and I am excited and honored to be a part of that effort,” said Goodstein. “I believe BCEP offers the highest quality education and training needed to prepare environmental policymakers for the work ahead.”

For more information about the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, please call 845-758-7073, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.bard.edu/cep.

This event was last updated on 02-20-2009

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