| Description | Growing up in Pennsylvania and West Virginia where the economy was based on industrial chemical production and coal mining, Stan Ingman experienced environmental degradation first-hand. An affinity for the outdoors and a concern for public health resulted in degrees in botany, rural communities and medical sociology. The “engaged university” offered a forum for multidisciplinary projects and research-based results.
He arrived at UNT in 1990, and worked with Dr. Hiram Friedsam to create programs for the Center for Public Service. Sustainability was the basis for their conceptual model as expressed by The “Four E’s” – Enterprise, Environment, Education and Empowerment. Their vision emphasized both the physical and social environment, finding connections between the aging population and the aging planet. Education and empowerment strategies would provide the tools for public health and economic well-being.
During his thirty years at UNT, Stan has practiced his brand of “the engaged university” at the local, regional, national and international levels. Using his social science lens, he continues to identify relationships between human behavior and sustainable outcomes. Collaborative efforts include affordable housing, healthy neighborhoods, after-school programs, sustainable campus initiatives and green building technologies. Stan sees great potential in social media communication, data mapping and the citizen science model. He encourages his graduate students to “value networks” by combining multidisciplinary technical expertise with established grassroots groups in order to achieve lasting social change. |
