Q&A: Meet Professor Jon Rosales
Meet Your Environmental Studies Mentor
Professor of Environmental Studies Jon Rosales is passionate about the environment and helping students understand the complexities of global environmental challenges and explore innovative solutions. Through hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches, his courses inspire students to think critically, act decisively, and live within the laws of Nature.
What’s your favorite course to teach, and why?
I love teaching Global Change and Sustainability. This course goes beyond the basics of environmental science, delving into grand theories like the Tragedy of the Commons and Sustainable Development. We also consider other, more intellectually satisfying, approaches to studying the environment such as Indigenous thought and the rights of Nature.
How do you make your courses engaging?
Field labs play a central role in my teaching. For example, in Global Change and Sustainability, students work together to create an ephemeral art project at our Living Laboratory, using materials from the land. This activity helps them explore different concepts of work—whether it’s community-building, labor, or fulfillment. In Once and Future Forest, students conduct forest evaluations on snowshoes, contributing to the North Country Old-Growth Program. These immersive experiences bring the course material to life.
Has a student ever changed your perspective on a subject or challenged you in a meaningful way?
One student comes to mind this regard. I have worked very hard to minimize my ecological footprint. One day in class we were talking about transportation options and how it is difficult to move from one point to another given the options we have. This student mentioned that we cannot be so hard on ourselves given the fact that many, many decisions have been made before our time that determined the transportation system we have. It was like a breath of fresh air but grounded in the fact that we need to continue working on a better system.
What surprises students most about you?
Probably that I was invited to address the United Nations General Assembly in 2013. It was an incredibly nerve-wracking and proud moment for me—one that underscores the importance of the work we do in environmental studies.
What’s been your proudest moment as a professor?
My proudest moments are when I see former students making a tangible impact. For example, a student who took my climate change and forest classes is now working to restore the Amazon rainforest and is planning to pursue a Ph.D. Knowing I played a role in her journey is deeply fulfilling.
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