1. Interdisciplinary Studies as a Vital & Unappreciated Approach Towards Sustainability: Some Tips Along the Way FDU Globalization: Nature, Causes and Consequences September 9, 2013

2. Your guest lecturer Longest Serving Sustainability Change-Agent in NJ Senior Fellow, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Institute for Sustainable Enterprise NJ Department of Environmental Protection Alumnus Business, Academia, Environmental Group, Government Experience Perpetual Student Columnist

3. Sustainability Must look at Economy/ Environment/ Society Together—not Separately Problems are urgent, but don’t necessarily need to see them that way to get started No one has all the answers Business is not necessarily the enemy We must help poor countries develop their economies in more benign ways than we did it Call for creativity in addressing the above

4. Personal Sign Posts Along the Way Interdisciplinary studies—without the name Environmental economics/Ecological economics/Behavioral economics Sustainability/Sustainable Business Philosophy of science/Critical thinking Edge-walker/Positive Deviant/Social Entrepreneur Interdisciplinary studies—with the name

5. Interdisciplinary Thinking Where does the following so-old-it’s-new- again metaphor say?

7. Some tenets of Interdisciplinary studies (from Repko) “…needed to answer complex questions, solve complex problems…that are increasingly beyond the ability of any single discipline…” Descriptions of relations between disciplinary fields: Bridging, Blending, Integrating, Transcending, Reconciling conflicting disciplinary insights Connecting dots…regardless of the disciplinary box in which they reside

8. Further tenets of Interdisciplinary studies (Repko) …into a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts Recognizing & confronting differences Looks for common ground although may criticize individual fields Defying of disciplinary limits Breadth, comprehensiveness, realism Is not a side-by-side placing of insights from different fields

9. Apply to a Real Life Case: Managing a Farmers Market A very popular sustainability application Problem: Have 3 farmers selling produce—Do we accept a fourth if the market “cannot currently support it?” Maximize interest of the existing farmers (economic viability), or the Community (the social element of sustainability)? Is there a creative solution to this?

10. Any relevance to today’s readings to point out? Any recent or current sports management issues which could benefit from an interdisciplinary approach?

12. How to play this role? What’s the first academic thing to go after graduation? Ability to do all-nighters & still function the next day, eat greasy subs, courage, curiosity, open- mindedness, a sense of nuance, an I-can- change-the-world focus & energy Don’t let this happen as you move into careers, life gets busy & crazy; adversity to risk and there’s-nothing-new-under-the-sun attitudes become tempting

13. Other Tips Not everyone has to be a change-agent like this. Still need many to help make numerous small changes Figure out your strengths & weaknesses— and work on a select number of the latter No one knows everything/Usually no one side is completely right—or wrong Are opportunities that no one may tell you Be creative

14. Feel free to accept the challenge of pursuing sustainability In your role as student In whatever profession you join, create, or change to As well as in your future roles as parent/ citizen/volunteer

15. Conclusions about Interdisciplinary Studies Can be very useful—even if it’s not in your job title A very nice thing to have in your background—gives you a professional edge even if the marketplace doesn’t always understand it Can be a special and, occasionally, even a beautiful thing