BIO

Lisa A. W. Kensler is the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership, in the College of Education at Auburn University. Her original training in ecology continues to fuel her love of systems thinking and the challenges located at the intersection of human and nature’s systems, particularly as they appear in PK-12 schooling. She has engaged in learning and teaching about systems thinking and sustainability for nearly thirty years. Lisa’s research over the past decade has focused on green schools and the leadership and learning required for transforming schools into more socially just, ecologically healthy, and economically viable communities that engage intentionally with the global sustainability movement. She has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to democratic community, systems thinking, trust, teacher leadership, and whole school sustainability.  In 2017, she and Cynthia Uline co-authored, Leadership for Green Schools: Sustainability for Our Children, Our Communities, and Our Planet. Their second book, A Practical Guide to Leading Green Schools: Partnering with Nature to Create Vibrant, Flourishing, Sustainable Schools, will be published in May 2021.

In 2018, the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) recognized Lisa as one of its “Hidden Figures - behind the scenes giants in the field whose work cannot be ignored.”