Washington University in St. Louis has been appointed to a United Nations (U.N.) group dedicated to protecting life on land. The university is represented in this effort by Joseph Steensma, MPH, MA, EdD, a professor of practice at WashU School of Public Health, whose work focuses on environmental health and sustainability, and Jen Mandeville, MS, the senior network manager for the school’s Solutions through Planetary Health Research (SPHERE) network, which is dedicated to advancing research and partnerships that lead to transformative solutions for human health and environmental challenges. Their work in support of the group will be facilitated and disseminated by SPHERE.
The group is a hub of the U.N.’s Academic Impact initiative, which aims to leverage the strengths of academia to advance the U.N.’s sustainable development goals. WashU has taken on the role of vice chair for research at what is formally called the “United Nations Academic Impact Sustainable Development Goals Hub for Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.” The university will hold this position through December 2027.
“This appointment is a testament to WashU’s and the School of Public Health’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” Steensma said. “I look forward to working with colleagues around the world to drive forward impactful research to conserve and restore terrestrial ecosystems.”