Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions

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Michael L. McKinney is Director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also a Professor in the Geological Science Department and the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department. Since 1985, he has taught a variety of courses, focusing on environmental science and biodiversity issues at the undergraduate level.Dr. McKinney has two master’s degrees, one from the University of Colorado at Boulder and one from the University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1985. Since that time, he has published several books and dozens of technical articles. Most of his recent research has focused on conservation biology. Dr. McKinney has received several teaching awards and a prestigious University award for creative research. He is currently working on a book documenting the harmful impact of urban sprawl on native species.In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. McKinney is very active in promoting environmental solutions where he lives, the Southern Appalachian bioregion. He is on the Board of Directors of the Foothills Land Conservancy, which is the major private land trust that creates wilderness preserves around the Smoky Mountain National Park. In 2001, Dr. McKinney received the Environmental Achievement award from the city’s main newspaper, the Knoxville News-Sentinel, given to the individual who has done the most to promote a better environment. Dr. McKinney is also an active member of the Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, the East Tennessee Sierra Club (Harvey Broome Chapter), the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Tennessee Clean Water Network, and Ijams Nature Center. He writes a bimonthly column called the “Suburban Ecologist” in the Hellbender, the environmental newspaper of East Tennessee.Dr. McKinney lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he greatly enjoys hiking and promoting sustainable living.

Logan Yonavjak is an investment professional who has worked with a variety of organizations on a suite of projects ranging from ESG product development, the development of social and environmental impact metrics methodologies, and a variety of renewable energy and conservation finance deals. She is currently the Manager of Research and Analysis at CREO Syndicate, a network of family offices focused on driving more private capital to solve global environmental challenges. More recently she worked at Morgan Stanley's Institute for Sustainable Investing, Align Impact, and the Yale Investments Office. Logan received her B.A. with Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Logan is a Startingbloc Fellow, a Property and Environment Research (PERC) Fellow and a Kinship Fellow. She has also been a freelance writer for Ashoka Changemakers, Forbes, ImpactAlpha, and Nextbillion, and is also the author of several books. Logan received her Masters in Forestry and MBA (with a concentration in Asset Management) from Yale in 2016. Logan currently sits on the Board of Slow Money NYC, which connects investors with local food entrepreneurs in NYC, and she is also an Advisor to the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Investing (YISF).