Joined Wild Ones: March 20th, 2008
Board Term: 2023-2026
Contact Wild Ones: [email protected]
Chapter: Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley
Favorite Native Plant: Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
About:
Ken is the Director of Sustainability at Vassar College in New York, where he leads and coordinates Vassar’s efforts to implement environmentally friendly practices and decarbonize campus operations, while also providing active support for sustainability-focused education and skills development. Ken came to Vassar in 2024 after over two decades working in Minnesota and British Columbia. He spent seventeen years as Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Concordia College, where he also served as Chair of the President’s Sustainability Council and, for three years, as Director of Community Engagement. During that time, Ken served for several years as a Public Member (appointed by Governor Walz) of the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board and spearheaded the Moorhead Community Resilience Project. While at Concordia, Ken led numerous teams of his students in advocating for eco-friendly landscaping and collaborated with the city and other stakeholders to create native plant gardens on city property. He's originally from Rhode Island and has lived in five states and four countries, including seven years living in Taiwan and China.
What inspired you to become involved with Wild Ones:
I love seeing, experiencing and creating gardens that provide the things that insects and birds need to thrive. And these gardens make life better for humans, too.