KAEE recently welcomed new member Ellen Prusinski. Ellen is the coordinator of engaged and experiential learning and assistant professor of education at Centre College in Danville. Read on to learn more about her interest in integrating EE and community learning and to find a really fun fact at the end!
KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you?
Ellen: This semester, I’m teaching Global Perspectives on Education, which is one of my favorite classes to teach in part because it is a great excuse for me to engage with new material.
KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field?
Ellen: I hope that we can find new ways of helping Centre students integrate learning about the environment into whatever discipline or field they are studying, whether that is English or Anthropology or Physics.
KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators?
Ellen: I am still really new to this field, so I could probably use support in a lot of different areas! Right now, I am prioritizing a focus on how to help encourage students who feel discouraged and fearful about climate change.
KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network?
Ellen: I lived in Asia for four years after college and love to think about how the U.S. could learn from the experiences of other countries that approach issues of environmental education from different angles. If this is of interest to anyone, I’d be glad to chat.
KAEE: Share a fun fact or random tidbit about yourself with the group!
Ellen: My 4-year-old and I learned to ride a tandem bike last spring. If you see us tooling around Lexington, please say hi!