Press Release
ASU Global Institute of Sustainability launches Walton Sustainability Executive Scholarship Program with $100,000 fund

TEMPE, Ariz., November 23, 2013 – To encourage and reward candidates for the Executive Master’s for Sustainability Leadership program, the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University, the nation’s leader in sustainability education, will offer scholarships of up to $15,000 per student. This dedicated financial assistance was made possible due to a $100,000 fund established through the institute’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives. The Executive Master’s for Sustainability Leadership program is designed for mid-career professionals working to advance sustainability initiatives. Recipients of the Walton Sustainability Executive Scholarships will be selected based on their leadership potential and previous achievements. “Our research overwhelmingly indicates that current executives identify continued education as a key to helping their organizations meet their sustainability goals,” said Patricia Reiter, director of the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives. “We are very excited to offer these scholarships funded by a generous investment by the Rob and Melani Walton fund of the Walton Family Foundation.” Online applications are currently being accepted for the program’s inaugural class until Nov. 18. The scholarship application, which includes responding to an essay question, is integrated as part of the program application process. Housed at the ASU School of Sustainability, the academic home for more than 270 Sustainability Scientists and Scholars, the executive degree program was established to teach organizational leadership skills through the lens of sustainability. It will provide working professionals with practical, actionable tools to become leaders who can accelerate sustainability throughout their organization. The first Executive Master’s for Sustainability Leadership class commences January 15, 2014. “This degree program is a non-traditional combination of virtual learning coupled with immersive in-person experiences at ASU and abroad taught by leading sustainability practitioners and academics from around the world,” said George Basile, Senior Sustainability Scientist at ASU and a lead consultant for the Executive Master’s program. “Upon completion of the degree, participants will own a toolbox that will allow them to immediately impact their organization with support from a global network of inspiring thought leaders, practitioners and supportive peers.” For more information about the Executive Master’s for Sustainability Leadership, the Walton Sustainability Executive Scholarship Program or how to apply, contact program advisor Jennifer Griffin at (480) 727-3097 or visit leadersinsustainability.asu.edu.