This month we welcome a terrific new cohort of future environmental leaders to the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies: an exceptionally talented class of 143 students from 31 U.S. states and territories and 24 countries. They will take much away from their years at Yale but they will give much too. The special quality of our school is created in large part by the diverse experiences and global perspectives of our remarkable students. We are inspired by their passion, strengthened by their energy and enlightened by their insights.
The students entering the Class of 2014 will graduate into a world where environmental concerns have never been more salient. Increasing demands on the Earth’s resources, the continuing loss of biological diversity, the degradation of ecosystem services and new kinds of pollution, as well as climate change, are all impediments to creating a more just, secure and sustainable world. The magnitude of these challenges requires environmental leaders with vision who can “think like a mountain” and who will take the long view.
During their time at Yale our students will be taught by a diverse and accomplished faculty and they will learn from an extraordinary community of peers, mentors, alumni and staff. These relationships and interactions among them will help our students excel, both academically and professionally. With an eye to coming decades each one of them is a wonderful investment in our collective future. We expect much of them, but we also know from the history of F&ES alumni that they will deliver.
