Dr. Jordan Howell and Dr. Dustin Crowley cultivate the environmental humanities at Rowan

Rowan University’s growing STEM program has long been advertised as a testament to the university’s commitment to solving global environmental problems — with humanities programs seeming to lag behind in the dust.

But what happens if the future leaders of sustainability can’t communicate their science to policy makers? What if a proposed environmental solution can fix climate change — but hurts vulnerable populations in the process?

Can environmental issues really make the world more equitable when they’re viewed through the lens of data alone?

One possible solution seems to lie with Rowan professors Dr. Jordan Howell and Dr. Dustin Crowley. Howell is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geography, Planning and Sustainability; Crowley is an Assistant Professor in the English Department.

Together, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the two professors have created a new program for Rowan University which blends their respective disciplines: Environmental Humanities.