Melissa Lee will give the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ 2021 Lattman Visiting Scholar of Science and Society Lecture. Her talk, “Training the Next Generation Workforce for a Sustainable Future,” will be held at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, in 26 Hosler Building on the University Park campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Lee is the founder and CEO of The GREEN Program (TGP). She founded the program in 2009 when she was a student at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
TGP’s mission is to educate and empower future sustainability leaders through innovative models of experiential education, responsible travel and adventure. TGP’s programs focus on providing students firsthand experience with the world’s most pressing issues in sustainable development. All of TGP’s programs advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and every program is designed around a specific set of SDGs. By using the world as a classroom, TGP is committed to helping create a future workforce of responsible and sustainable global citizens.
For her work with TGP, Lee has received many accolades. She was recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners as the Environmental Advocate of the Year, Philadelphia magazine's Best of Philly - Expander of Frontiers, and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Education. Lee has served as a U.S. Global Schools Ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and was selected as the University of Pittsburgh’s 2018 Heinz Distinguished Lecturer.
Penn State is a TGP University Partner and since 2010 has collaborated with TGP to facilitate global learning experiences for more than 280 students across a variety of majors. The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has provided funding for students participating in the Iceland and Peru programs. Students also have served as TGP ambassadors and volunteers.