For the third time in four years, GW’s MBA program for environmental management has been recognized for its leadership in training students.
The World Resources Institute, an organization that seeks to balance the relationship between business success and social and environmental progress, will present a plaque to Susan Philips, dean of the School of Business and Public Management, Friday.
WRI announced with partner Aspen Institute for Social Innovation Through Business that GW was one of five schools to receive the “cutting edge MBA program distinction” in late October. The two organizations rated environmental management programs worldwide for their ability to incorporate environmental teaching into their core and elective courses.
“We are pleased that GW’s business school is accelerating solutions to environment and development challenges,” WRI media director Adilai Amor said.
The review cited GW’s strong faculty and administrative support, which has enabled SBPM to create one of the top programs for environmental management in the country.
“Our success can be attributed to three sources: students, faculty and administrators,” said Mark Starik, a GW Strategic Management and Public Policy professor.
Starik directs SMPP’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Initiative, which encourages research to better inform business, government and non-profit organizations on how to be successful while remaining environmentally conscious.
He said master’s degree students helped to develop GW’s Environmental Policy and Management concentration which was recognized by WRI and the Aspen Institute.
Students also formed a new Graduate Environmental Professionals Association, Starik said.
Students have also conducted some “excellent” environmental research projects, volunteered at on-campus environmental conferences and participated in annual Earthweek activities, he said.
“After winning the award I definitely feel more job security by graduating from GW MBA program,” said Tim Schaeffer, a second-year MBA student “It makes us unique.”
GW joins four other schools for the leading environmental management MBA programs, including University of Michigan Business School, University of North Carolina Business School, University of Jyvaeskylae School of Business and Economics in Finland and Yale University School of Management.
“Other colleges offer just one or two courses, GW offers hundreds of
classes that we can choose from.” Schaeffer said. “This enables us to pick the class that we are truly interested in.”
The institutes presented the award Oct. 31 at a ceremony hosted by City Group in New York City. Dean Phillips will accept a plaque at 10:15 a.m. in the Media and Public Affairs building basement auditorium Friday.
“SBPM is looking forward to continuing to improve the quality and expand the quantity of environmental offerings, activities and results in the years ahead and welcomes students, faculty, and administrators throughout GW to join with us to make this University a truly sustainable institution of higher learning,” Starik said.
