Faculty Spotlight: Rhiannon Gulick
Rhiannon Gulick, adjunct professor in the Sustainable Management Program, will co-teach “Energy and Sustainability” this fall.
Adjunct Professor Rhiannon Gulick is part of the DAI Environment team, a large international development contractor. Her work combines technical expertise in climate change and natural resource management with practical experience in developing integrated planning. She is currently working on two USAID programs, one focusing on integrated natural resource management, where she oversees a portfolio of activities focused on gender equality and social inclusion and land and resource governance; the other focusing on the West Bank and small business recovery in Gaza, where she works as an intermittent climate change advisor.
Her previous work includes research and programme design for Vietnam’s energy security programme and research on the transition to clean fuels in Zambia. Gulick is an alumnus of Columbia University Sustainability Management (SUMA) Programand also holds a BA in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
What initially motivated you to pursue the field of sustainability?
I have been working in international development for about 20 years, and the first part of my career was business development (writing a lot of proposals). Over time, I’ve become more and more inclined to work with a team that focuses exclusively on environmental issues. When a job on that team became vacant, I moved to a technical role. By chance, on the day I learned about this job, I also learned that I was accepted by SUMA!
What drew you to Columbia Climate School/SPS?
I am an alumni of the SUMA program. I was initially looking for a program tailored for working professionals – I needed to find evening classes – and also wanted a flexible program that would allow me to focus on areas relevant to my career. When I come back, I’m so excited to be a part of this college – I have some amazing professors. I would also love to see how the climate school develops and develops.
What courses will you be teaching this fall, and what excites you the most?
This fall, I will be co-teaching part of Energy and Sustainability. It’s a class I took as a kid and I think one of the most exciting things about this class is that it’s about energy, but it’s really about how to think about sustainability and how to ask good questions. In my opinion, good questions are the foundation of good programs.
What changes do you hope to see in the future of sustainability?
I hope we’ll see more of a move towards integrated programming. I think it’s more interesting and effective when we can develop plans to think about how to think about sustainable resource use, livelihoods, climate resilience, energy…all of which are part of a whole, rather than silos competing for resources.
What advice do you have for students pursuing sustainable careers?
Sustainability has many different facets – from corporate initiatives to working with forest communities on the ground, from loving the big picture to being a data expert. I think figuring out which parts are really talking to you can help narrow down your options. And don’t be afraid to take “hard” science and quantitative courses; they will definitely come in handy in the long run.
