Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering

The Central Lake Erie Basin has been encountering escalating challenges in stormwater management, marked by shifting precipitation patterns and intensified weather extremes due to climate change. Consequently, conventional drainage systems, entrenched in gray infrastructure, have been exacerbating downstream urban flooding, prompting urgent exploration of alternative solutions. Low Impact Development (LID), particularly Green Infrastructure (GI) emerges as a promising avenue to mitigate flooding and enhance stormwater resilience. Since many sustainable stormwater management projects falter due to numerous factors including insufficient community involvement, inadequate consideration of local conditions, and limited resources for maintenance, this study engaged the community extensively to incorporate community input in decision-making for stormwater management. Out of the seven GIs, stakeholders preferred to explore permeable pavement and rain gardens. This study employed a comprehensive approach to evaluate the effectiveness of rain gardens and permeable pavement in stormwater management within the Town of Willoughby. By integrating climate data from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Phases 5 and 6 datasets with hydrological modeling, the research investigated the impacts of evolving precipitation patterns and climate trajectories on stormwater management practices. The developed PCSWMM model encompassed 54 sub-catchments, with permeable pavement applied to 46 of the sub catchments in the parking lots of commercial buildings and public spaces. Additionally, rain gardens were implemented in 35 sub-catchments with one rain garden allocated per residential house. Through rigorous analysis, the research evaluated GI's capacity to address evolving precipitation patterns and climate trajectories, providing nuanced insights into its potential implications for sustainable stormwater management practices. GI measures such as permeable pavements and ra (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Suresh Sharma PhD (Advisor); Sahar Ehsani PhD (Committee Member); Bradley Shellito PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

This dissertation in practice examines the absence of an advocacy framework for Black placemakers in southwest Springfield neighborhoods seeking to transform vacant spaces into vibrant pocket parks, green spaces, and community gardens. This critical community-based participatory research addresses inadequate public policies, resources, and technical assistance to create and sustain neighborhood sites for endurance, belonging, and resistance. Thematic findings indicated that systemic issues, street-level organizing, and sustainability are primary barriers and opportunities. An action intervention and change process was developed to establish the Springfield Park and Green Space Ecosystem (SPGE). The action plan focuses on a community coalition of power building, a community benefits agreement, zoning revisions, and public-private partnerships with results-based accountability.

Committee: James Olive (Committee Chair); Castel Sweet (Committee Member); Pamela Cross Young (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Agricultural Education; Area Planning and Development; Behaviorial Sciences; Climate Change; Conservation; Cultural Anthropology; Environmental Education; Environmental Health; Environmental Justice; Land Use Planning; Landscape Architecture; Landscaping; Public Administration; Public Health; Public Health Education; Public Policy; Sustainability; Urban Forestry; Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, History

This dissertation aims to reclaim the significance and innovations of female home scientists in India's development from 1947 until 1972. Historiographies of India's development in the post-independence period have largely overlooked how gendered projects, such as the establishment of home science programs in new Indian agricultural universities, were directed by professional women. To discover the ways and to what extent home scientists played an essential role in India's modernization projects, this study investigates the transnational interactions of U.S. home economists and Indian women who earned advanced degrees in home economics subjects in the United States during the Cold War. Analyzing archival material, personal collections, oral history interviews, online subscription databases, and open-access repositories, this dissertation recovers the voices and lived experiences of these professional women. Additionally, this process uncovered a rich collection of first-person narratives. Over one hundred and twenty-five theses and dissertations written by Indian home scientists during the first three decades after Independence, collectively and individually, illustrate their pioneering leadership. The significance of this research is that it reveals home scientists' personal and professional renegotiations, setbacks, triumphs, and transnational connections with philanthropic organizations, government officials, and U.S. home economists as they collaborated and led nation-building projects.

Committee: Mytheli Sreenivas (Advisor) Subjects: Families and Family Life; Higher Education; History; Home Economics Education; International Relations; South Asian Studies; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2022, Materials Engineering

The bisphenol (BPs) family of organic chemicals emerged in the 20th century as a versatile monomer in the evolving polymer industry. The most notable of the bisphenol family of compounds, bisphenol A (BPA), is used widely to make polycarbonate. Unfortunately, it was eventually linked to health problems including a negative impact on human reproductivity. Therefore, there has been an increased need for a safer and more environmentally friendly BPA replacement. Bisphenol-S (BPS) is one common replacement of BPA, but unfortunately BPS was also linked to the same health problems. Thus, there is a growing interest in decontaminating water containing BPS. Adsorption is currently the preferred method for water treatment for the removal of anthropogenic chemicals such as BPs. The efficiency of adsorption processes is inherently dependent on the existence of effective adsorbents for various chemical types. In the current study, methods to develop graphene oxide (GO) materials in environmentally friendly ways for the purpose of absorbing BPS from water were investigated. First GO was synthesized by modifying different existing methods reported in the literature to be more environmentally friendly. The newly synthesized GO (EF-GO) performance was comparable to as-received commercially available GO (AR-GO) when used in solutions of BPS of concentration 10 mg/L at room temperature. EF-GO achieved 63 mg/g adsorption capacity compared to 67 mg/g for AR-GO, and 32% percentage BPS removal compared to 34% for AR-GO. Next, ascorbic acid (AA) was used to reduce the GO, referred to as AA-rGO, to improve its adsorption performance and be classified as “green” material due to the safety of ascorbic acid. AA was used in two different procedures to produce reduced graphene oxide (AA-rGO) with different defect structures. The performance of these two AA-rGO samples (A and B) was investigated. AA-rGOB was sonicated for 9 minutes during reduction while AA-rGOA was not. Both samples were hea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Donald Klosterman (Committee Chair); Christopher Muratore (Committee Member); Kenya Crosson (Advisor); Amy Ciric (Committee Member) Subjects: Materials Science

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2022, Environmental Studies

The research conducts a detailed analysis of neighborhood change, eviction, and displacement in Cincinnati as a result of recent investment projects under the names of neighborhood improvements, revitalization and green public spaces. I have examined how waves of gentrification have shifted demographic characteristics of residents in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood of Downtown Cincinnati, and a growing shortage of affordable rental homes for low-income households. Over-The-Rhine is promoted as a success story as it has attracted new developments, businesses and young professionals. However, many old communities of this gentrifying neighborhood have been displaced and evicted during the pandemic. This displacement has affected both residents and small business owners, primarily within the last 15 years. Class, ethnicity, and age of residents/business owners are crucial aspects of this current issue.

Committee: YeongHyun Kim (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Geography

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

The United States is a highly urbanized nation. Today, with a growing number of people living in cities, a better understanding of how changes within urban areas impact the well-being of residents has important implications for policymakers and communities. The urban spatial structure of these cities is continually evolving, and in different ways across cities. This changing urban environment has substantial impacts on health and well-being. This dissertation takes a comprehensive view of social welfare from a policy perspective, including questions related to environmental degradation and public health, in order to scrutinize how urban gradients and urban spatial structures yield different consequences and affect residents in various ways. My first chapter explores how changing urbanization patterns in the United States influences air quality outcomes. Specifically, I seek to answer whether more compact forms of residential development result in better air quality relative to more sprawling patterns. I use spatially explicit data on air pollution and residential development, including over 6 million observations on new housing from tax assessment data, across large metropolitan areas to reveal a causal link between urban sprawl and air pollution from vehicle traffic. I find that compact cities experience a larger reduction in nitrogen dioxide and ozone compared with sprawling cities. In my second chapter, I explore the health benefits of urban green space. In order to better understand the impacts of urban green space on health outcomes, I examine the effects of city park area on mortality rates from cardiovascular disease among the elderly. I combine city park data with data on mortality rates, behavioral risk factors, and socioeconomic characteristics to conduct comparative case studies utilizing a synthetic control method. I select cities with significantly increased and reduced park area and examine how health benefits vary compared to cities where park (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elena Irwin (Advisor); Mark Partridge (Committee Member); Abdoul Sam (Committee Member) Subjects: Economics; Environmental Economics; Regional Studies

Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Cleveland State University, 2017, Washkewicz College of Engineering

Urbanization causes a serious impact on storm water systems by expansion of impervious surfaces. Low Impact Development (LID) is a technique growing in popularity to solve the issue of storm water management. However, to evaluate the benefits of LIDs is a difficult task due to realistic parametrization of LIDs and subcatchments for modeling. The goals of this study are: a) to provide a practical guideline to parameterize and simulate LIDs (bio-retention and rain barrels) in residential areas; and b) to evaluate the resulting effect on the current drainage system under various design storms. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storm Water Management Model 5 (SWMM5) was used to simulate the hydrologic performance of LID controls and their effects on reducing direct runoff from a residential area, Klusner Avenue in Parma, Ohio. This study conceptualized the study site in reasonable detail, including house, garage, backyard, tree lawn, driveway, sidewalk, and street, so that the performance of LID controls could be identified easily. Specifically, a street catchment was carefully modeled using an open-conduit routing option, which simulated the street drainage systems more effectively. SWMM5 parameters were calibrated using the observed rainfall-runoff data which was collected before implementing LID practices at Klusner Avenue. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) had a value of 0.69 for the calibrated model which indicates a strong fit between the output and observed data. Finally, the calibrated model was used to add LID controls to evaluate its effects under various design storms, 1-year, 2-year, 5-year, 10-year, 25-year, and 50-year return periods. The results show that two types of LID controls, bio-retention cell and rain barrel installed in the study site reduced the total runoff volume from 9 to 13% and the peak flow by from 11 to 15% depending on rainfall intensities. The analysis of results suggested that the performance of LID controls should be based on n (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ung Tae Kim Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jacqueline Jenkins Ph.D. (Committee Member); Yung Tse Hung Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2016, Manufacturing and Technology Management

Recently, interest in environmental sustainability has been growing in the business world since it is considered a strategic priority to gain competitive advantage. In addition, there are said to be corresponding risks of choosing to operate unsustainably. It is clear, however, that manufacturing impacts the environment; this is true on a global basis. More than mining, oil and gas, agriculture, or other such activities, manufacturing is accountable for more than 50% of solid waste produced all over the world (Hill, 2004). Manufacturing companies are also responsible for 20.2% of water removal from land; clearly, there are many environmental dangers due to manufacturing (Gavronski, 2012; Shiklomanov, 1999). Therefore, this research mainly focuses on manufacturing firms and how to manage environmental sustainability (greening) throughout, while also developing green training and green supplier development programs for sustainable competitive advantage. The main objective of this research is to investigate the relationships between the strategic choice of a firm based on their green orientation and relational orientation, green training, green supplier development, and sustainable business advantages, including green innovation improvement and gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Specifically, the study explore the relationships between green orientation, relational orientation with supplier, and green training in a manufacturing firm context. Also, the study explore the relationship of internal green training to green supplier development, green innovation, and competitive advantage improvement in a manufacturing firm context. Moreover, the study explore the relationship of green supplier development to green innovation and competitive advantage improvement of a manufacturing firm. Lastly, the study explore the relationship between green innovation improvement and a manufacturing firm's competitive advantage. All data collected and analyzed at the firm lev (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jenell L. S. Wittmer Dr. (Committee Chair); Mark R. Gleim Dr. (Committee Member); Euisung Jung Dr. (Committee Member); Mohamed Hefzy Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Geography

In this dissertation, I show that the coasts of East Asia are going through transformations through which coastal spaces are newly rationalized as sites for envisioning and realizing green growth. The transformations of East Asian seas are not an isolated event but an outcome of the multi-scalar processes through which global forces and national and local desires have interacted. Specifically, I focus on three moments of transformation – the establishment of China's sea governance regime, China's coastal reclamation boom, and the rise of tidal flat fisheries in South Korea. Through this dissertation I make three overarching arguments. First, it is not merely the imperative for economic growth alone but the system of sea governance that produces coastal space as an object of comprehensive management that enables the rationalization of coasts as particular spaces for green growth. Second, in these transformative events, economic development and environmental conservation are packaged together as a spatial remodeling project. This results in marginalization of coastal populations in ways that undermine conventional means of resistance. Third, although the transformative process is controversial and vulnerable due to the assumption of continued growth, the capitalization of coastal space is intensified. As a discipline that critically investigates the complex relations between space and power and between society and nature, geography has not fully arrived on coasts. This dissertation brings to the fore the production of coastal space and its governance as a subject of study. Using geographic lenses of critical political economy and political ecology, it seeks to retrieve coasts as a social and vibrant place that emerge from a series of historical socio-natural transformations, which I call social coasts.

Committee: Becky Mansfield (Advisor); Kendra McSweeney (Committee Member); Joel Wainwright (Committee Member); Max Woodworth (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2015, Civil Engineering

Increases in impervious surface, a direct result of urbanization, have resulted in the impairment of the natural water cycle. The transition from pervious vegetated cover to impervious pavement and building cover results in greater surface runoff generation and decreased groundwater recharge. The increase in runoff volumes results in greater pollutant delivery to receiving streams and disrupts the natural stream hydrology. The frequency of high intensity precipitation events is increasing due to global climate change, exacerbating the effects of urban runoff on the water system. The water quantity and quality impairments associated with urban stormwater runoff can be mitigated using bioretention LID controls. The overarching objective of this project was to assist in the development of a cohesive and coordinated plan for implementation of green stormwater strategies in Toledo - Lucas County. In this study, a combination of SWMM5 modeling and GIS analyses were used to identify candidate properties for bioretention, in three urban land use types, throughout Lucas County, Ohio. The GIS analysis using soil, land-use and parcel data identified 7,159 bioretention candidate parcels in vacant residential, multi-family residential and commercial properties. SWMM5 modeling results applied to the identified parcels estimated a potential total volume reduction of over four billion liters per year, generated over 1140 treated urban hectares. The results of the study support current bioretention design standards and note the benefit of the utilization of bioretention in some Hydrologic Soil Group D soils. This work supports future studies utilizing similar methodology to plan and prioritize LID control implementation and to estimate large scale pollutant removal performance.

Committee: Cyndee Gruden Dr. (Advisor); Defne Apul Dr. (Committee Member); Richard Becker Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Geography; Water Resource Management

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

Career pathways-based green collar jobs training programs for low-income citizens present American cities with an opportunity to pursue a “triple bottom line” of environmental sustainability, social and economic benefit. Retrofitting construction programs are particularly supported as “pathways out of poverty” that restore the opportunity for low-skilled, high unemployment communities to better access family-wage earning jobs that cannot be outsourced like manufacturing jobs. The Oakland Green Jobs Corps green construction pre-apprenticeship training program was modeled on the Pinderhughes Model of Green Collar Jobs Training and Placement, a career pathways model that was developed by an Oakland-area green workforce development expert. This case study has employed semi-structured interviews and content analysis to take inventory of the types of workforce intermediaries that are partners in the Oakland Green Jobs Corps and their respective contributions in the partnership's application of the Pinderhughes model. This study also presents a detailed analysis of the pattern of institutional development of the Oakland Green Jobs Corps in three phases. The study concludes that the entities used to facilitate the Pinderhughes model in Oakland are common to most urban regions. However, the study finds that the Pinderhughes model was not as innovative as it was purported to be, and is for the most part like traditional low-income pathways training models. The study finds that local green jobs training and placement programs are vulnerable to national economic employment trends and the influence of local politics. This study provides three lessons for maintaining a well facilitated construction-based green collar jobs training and placement program and partnership regardless of economic or political climate. They include 1) incorporating environmental awareness education, also known as “green consciousness,” into training as a valuable tool in attracting green business partic (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Johanna Looye PhD (Committee Chair); David Edelman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

Green building is a term used to define smart building techniques that when applied in a holistic approach conserves natural resources, uses energy wisely, improves indoor air quality and human health through the use of smarter building materials, reduces the impact of the built environment on the natural environment, and increases opportunities available for future generations. The green building movement has arisen out of the realization that as a global society we need to rethink the way we build our cities, towns and houses. This thesis documents constraints facing green building in Hamilton County's housing market. The research study sets out to establish the constraints through interviews with participants from four key building industry stakeholder groups. The four groups include: financial lenders, city/county officials, developers/home builders, and professionals (architects). As part of this analysis these constraints are also compared to green building industry challenges on a national level.

Committee: Carla Chifos (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

The contemporary American city faces incredible problems. Most notable are persistent socio-economic inequality and the environmental destruction caused by urban activity. In particular, the impoverished urban neighborhood suffers greatly from environmental injustice, but also from the decay of historic structures, poor health, feeble community support systems and the pressures of gentrification. Too often, these problems are addressed in isolation. To truly improve the city, it is incumbent upon us to integrate the goals of many fields in order to find more effective trans-disciplinary solutions. Many are now looking for methods by which we might integrate the goals of urban revitalization, environmentalism and historic preservation. This thesis explores urban agriculture as an integrated solution to many crises faced by cities. Research culminates in a project attempting to beautify and revitalize the impoverished urban neighborhood through the creation of a new urban realm, adapting rooftops into a network of public agricultural gardens.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden (Advisor) Subjects:

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2003, Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning : Community Planning

A future with a diminishing supply of nonrenewable resources is raising concerns in every aspect of our lives. The phrase ‘sustainable' or ‘green' development is being used to describe a wide variety of issues that take these concerns into consideration during the planning, design, and implementation process. In an effort to increase the number of green buildings developed throughout the country the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Guidelines. The guidelines are a framework which assists members of a development team to quantify whether or not a project is in fact ‘green' or ‘sustainable'. The guidelines provide a step by step approach within several categories associated with green development. The goals of this paper will be to explore how the guidelines have already been implemented on a city level in an effort to encourage the development of green buildings. Along with an understanding of how the guidelines have been used to promote green development, there will be a discussion of what the potential benefits of green development would be if implemented on a county level and why such practices have not already occurred.

Committee: Samuel Sherrill (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy in Manufacturing and Technology Management, University of Toledo, 2012, College of Business and Innovation

In today's age of industrialization and globalization, environmental deterioration and overuse of natural resources are identified as bottlenecks of social and economic development worldwide. To address these issues, a circular economy has been used by China as its national environmental strategy. The circular economy emphasizes 1) reducing resource and energy use, 2) reusing materials and items, and 3) recycling wastes and used products. Practically, China implements a circular economy at three different levels: regions, industrial parks, and companies. While adequate research has been done at the regional and industrial-park levels, how companies participate in a circular economy is not well understood. To fill this research gap, this study examines the following research questions: 1) What are the mechanisms that enable companies to develop their circular economy capability? 2) What are the antecedents of these mechanisms? 3) Does the development of circular economy capability lead to improvements of environmental and business performances? To address these questions, this research presents a conceptual framework based on complexity theory, natural resource based view (NRBV), dynamic capability theory, absorptive capacity theory, and ecological modernization theory. In particular, product stewardship and green supply chain design are proposed as the key mechanisms through which companies build their circular economy capability. External contextual dynamism for environmental implementation, potential absorptive capacity, and environmental orientation are proposed as antecedents of these mechanisms. Companies' environmental and business performances are proposed as the outcomes of their circular economy capability. To test this research model, measurement instruments were developed and validated for eight major constructs and 28 sub-constructs. Then, the research model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on data collected from a large-scale (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Vonderembse (Committee Co-Chair); Sachin Modi (Committee Co-Chair); Yue Zhang (Committee Member); Ozcan Sezer (Committee Member); Jiquan Chen (Committee Member) Subjects: Organization Theory

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Horticulture and Crop Science

The environmental technology of vegetated roof systems depends on collaboration between designers and scientists. But this collaboration is difficult to carry out due to well-entrenched differences in disciplinary methods. To compensate this dissertation attempts to improve our conceptualization and dissemination of vegetative roof system projects and to extend our scientific knowledge of how these systems function. In Chapter 1, I identify current problems and offer designers a framework for the conceptualization of ecoroof projects and dissemination of knowledge about such systems. I propose a design-research framework for the inclusion and communication of research agendas into design projects. In Chapter 2, I describe the first scientific study, which was designed to evaluate experimentally the effect of substrate depth on net primary productivity, water retention, and water quality. My data revealed that deep substrate roofs retained 18% more rainwater while producing 2.5 times more biomass than shallow substrate roofs. Roofs using water recycling or run-on water produced up to 26% more biomass than those receiving only direct precipitation and did so without any significant reduction in retention. In Chapter 3, I quantify animal diversity on two vegetated roof systems using rapid assessment method for insects, spiders and birds. The Renyi family of diversity indices was used to compare diversity between the two ecoroofs. My data revealed relatively low similarity between the species assemblages, but a relatively strong similarity in community structure. Overall, the intensive ecoroof supported slightly higher diversity. Finally, in Chapter 4, I use emergy analysis to quantify and compare the sustainability of three vegetated roof systems: an agricultural roof garden, a shallow-substrate ecoroof, and a deep-substrate ecoroof. The shallow-substrate ecoroof was the most sustainable (least unsustainable) of the three, followed by the deep-substrate ecoroof and the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Claudio Pasian (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2005, Environmental Studies (Arts and Sciences)

Olembo and Rham (1987) demonstrated the age-old belief by urban dwellers that urban greens make cities livable although few solid scientific data are available on the measurable benefits of greens on the urban environment. With the advent of GIS and remote sensing technologies, the American Forests Organization has measured the role of urban greens in dollar terms in some selected American Cities. This is seen in terms of physical or tangible benefits, environmental and health benefits, stormwater control, air quality control, energy conservation, social and other non-quantifiable benefits. Similarly the idea of green development in urban areas of developing countries, including Ghana, has come of age, with the call for identification of suitable sites for green development through capture, storage, integration, manipulation, analysis, querying and displaying of data that are spatially referenced. It is in this view that this study analysis problems that are likely to be encountered in the design and implementation of a GIS for urban green development in Ghana. While GIS and remote sensing technologies have the capacity to be utilized in the urban green development, its application in cities of Ghana may not be without problems. Some of the possible problems identified in this study, include data availability, data currency, accuracy and precision. Other data problems relate to data standardization, data merging and the database design and management. In addition to data problems, there are other problems such as personnel, financial and other resources, political and bureaucratic procedures involved and other socio-cultural barriers such as the traditional land tenure system, perception of development and attitudinal factors. In spite of these problems, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step; it is against this study suggested that a successful GIS development project begins on a pilot basis, involving situational assessment, needs of the end users, softw (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Lein (Advisor) Subjects: Geography

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2009, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Increasingly, environmental, scientific, and religious organizations and leaders are calling for people of faith to wake up to the global climate and other environmental crises and step up their ecological responsibility by leading more sustainable lives. Yet only a few seem to hear the calls and even fewer are responding in substantive ways. Many have commented on the gap between the religious theory for environmental care and the actual practice of living ecologically sustainable lives. Exploring how to bridge this gap is increasingly important as environmental regulatory, policy, and technology efforts fall short of goals and environmental professionals, including regulators, managers, and scientists, call for ways to “cultivate the [ecologically] enlightened citizen” (Boesch and Greer, 2003). My research addresses the gap through a grounded theory analysis of the sustainability journeys and formation processes of Christian role models of ecological enlightenment who demonstrate commitment to a sustainable way of life. The individuals profiled in my study not only heard the calls for a new way, but are responding whole-heartedly with intention and discipline and are guiding others toward a new ecological era. I conducted in-depth interviews with 10 adult Christian men and women role models about their personal pathways to ecological enlightenment, commitment to sustainability, and the role of spiritual/religious practices in this transformation. Initial research participants were discovered through the literature and/or nominated by academic and professional experts of religion, spirituality, and sustainability. Additional candidates emerged through theoretical sampling protocols. By focusing on factors contributing to the ecological formation and/or conversion of these role models, I provide insights on how some people are actually able to “walk the talk” of environmental sustainability despite immense social and cultural pressures to do otherwise. Each role mod (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mitchell Thomashow PhD (Committee Chair); Steve Guerriero PhD (Committee Member); Heidi Watts PhD (Committee Member); Betsy Perluss PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Religion; Religious Education