BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Integrated Program in the Environment, a joint initiative of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the IU College of Arts and Sciences, and the IU School of Public Health, is thrilled to announce that Sarah Osterhoudt, an associate professor in Indiana University’s Department of Anthropology, has been appointed as the new director of IPE.
Osterhoudt brings a wealth of experience in environmental anthropology, with a focus on the links between cultural and ecological resilience and restoration. Her research and teaching have significantly contributed to our understanding of how communities interact with their natural environments and how they can better cultivate sustainable and equitable landscapes moving forward. She succeeds Sarah Mincey, a clinical associate professor at the O’Neill School, who has transitioned to a full-time role as managing director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute.
“Dr. Osterhoudt’s experience in the field makes her an ideal leader for the IPE, and we’re excited for the vision she will bring to the program at this pivotal moment as we re-imagine and expand IPE to form the Environment, Sustainability and Society Institute (ESSI),” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “I also want to thank Sarah Mincey for her many contributions to IPE that built a solid foundation allowing it to grow and thrive in the future.”
IPE provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to address environmental issues through a multidisciplinary lens. Osterhoudt joins the successful team at IPE and the IU Research and Teaching Preserve (RTP), including Associate Director Elspeth Hayden and RTP Property Manager Michael Chitwood. Last year, IPE committed $70,000 to student research and increased enrollment into environmental joint-degrees.
“I’m very excited to begin this role,” Osterhoudt said. “I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional faculty, staff, and students to explore innovative solutions to the pressing environmental challenges of our time. Fostering an interdisciplinary community where education, research, and action go hand-in-hand is critical, and I’m excited to lead IPE into the future.”
IPE administers joint degrees at the undergraduate level, supports all undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. programs in the environment, and collaborates with more than a dozen centers and institutes focused on the environment and sustainability.
“I am profoundly grateful to have led IPE over the past decade and to have engaged with thousands of our program’s students,” said Mincey, who will continue her work in fostering resilience to environmental change across Indiana and beyond at ERI. “Enrollment in our programs quadrupled in that time, which is a testament to the excellence of IPE staff and faculty, including Dr. Osterhoudt. Her shared vision for IPE will continue to develop leaders and change-makers in the environment when it’s needed most.”