By Kim Weaver Spurr, Carolina Arts & Sciences magazine
Greg Gangi started the UNC Clean Tech Summit five years ago to connect students with clean-tech thought leaders in academia, government and industry. He serves dual roles as teaching associate professor in the environment, ecology and energy program, now E3P, and associate director for education at the Institute for the Environment.
He is excited about the growing opportunities to connect students to careers in the clean-tech industry as part of E3P, which launched in July after a lengthy strategic planning process to enhance and expand the preexisting curriculum in environment and ecology.
“There is a huge clean-tech presence in the Research Triangle Park area,” Gangi said. “Students should see RTP as a potential career destination — they no longer have to go to New York, D.C. or California.”
The new program will focus on interdisciplinary research challenges such as coastal and hazards resilience, natural resources, biodiversity and ecology, and environment and development. It will emphasize experiential education opportunities.
In addition, E3P will develop stronger alliances with social sciences and humanities departments in the College of Arts & Sciences as well as Carolina’s professional schools. The program already offers dual bachelor’s/master’s degrees with the schools of media and journalism, information and library science and government — and provides a pathway to a master’s in public health.
Read full story via the University Gazette.