Alex was a second-year master’s student pursuing a dual MS in Global Sustainability Science from Arizona State University and Leuphana University in Luneburg, Germany. After earning a BS in Environmental Studies from Roanoke College in Virginia, Alex undertook seasonal jobs and internships in environmental education and outdoor recreation. Teaching others about the environment reinforced her desire to protect natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. In the future, she hopes to build a career at the intersection of academic research and transformative action for global sustainability.
During the summer of 2021, Alex worked with the Northern Forest Center to research sustainable rural destination management and the impact of sustainable tourism pledges. She explored academic literature and case studies of other rural destinations shifting from marketing their destinations to managing tourist numbers and behavior. She used this information to develop high-level recommendations for destination management in the Northern Forest. Alex also evaluated the performance of two sustainability pledges coordinated by the Center. Using case studies and stakeholder surveys, she developed recommendations for increasing pledge effectiveness and tools for future outreach and evaluation of pledges
Watch Alex’s final presentation here.
