ROME-RUTHENIA 13 July 2023 (NRom)
H.H. Bishop Rutherford I of Rome-Ruthenia was recently named a Fellow of the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment (IonE). The Institute, based in St. Paul, is a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus group based on the philosophy that in order "to solve today’s complex environmental challenges, we must go beyond business-as-usual thinking." The IonE connects innovators from around the University and focuses on strong collaboration with external partners, "all with an eye towards being responsive, agile, and entrepreneurial in the face of a changing world." In addition to his ecclesiastical role, Bishop Rutherford professionally specializes in behavioral science applications and sustainability.
Fellows are often tenured professors, though there are exceptions. They are "senior researchers and thought-leaders that form the intellectual foundation of IonE" and are selected not only as a recognition of scholarly output, accomplishment, and impact, but with an expectation of service through the IonE. They are expected not only to have demonstrated excellence in the areas of sustainability or environmental justice, but also are well-established in their careers with a proven track record of applying research to solve real-world challenges. Moreover, in order to fulfill the mission of the IonE, Fellows are expected to have a track record of engaging those outside the university, accompanied with a strong sense of community impact.
A social sustainability specialist, Bishop Rutherford's work includes contributions in rural quality affordable housing in the Hispanic community, ecotourism as economic development, behavioral analysis of police-public interactions, and psychological factors in strategic behavior of climate policy. His sustainability training includes a master's degree in the field from the Harvard University Extension School and a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London in 2018 and was elected to membership in the Explorers' Club in New York in 2005. He is also the author of Practical Economics in an Ever-Changing World, an economics textbook combining behavioral science, sustainability, and economic theory to better understand the reality of the world in which we live.
