Jisung Park

Name: Jisung Park

Education: Harvard University, Ph.D. Candidate in Economics; Oxford University,  Master of Science in Economics for Development; Oxford University, Master of Science in Environmental Change and Management; Columbia University, B.A. in Economics and Political Science

SFS Program: Australia Spring '05

Favorite SFS Memory: Waking up to the sound of tree-frogs (and those notorious spotted catbirds!), smelling the distinctly wet rainforest scent, and starting each day with: "Can’t believe I’m living in the rainforest!"

The SFS Advantage: Among the many things, I gained a more practical sense of some of the management challenges "on-the-ground" with respect to tropical deforestation and forest management, as well as an appreciation of the power of policy – both social and economic – to profoundly shape the contours of environmental management.

Best Advice to New Graduates: Do the thing that genuinely motivates you.

New Environmental Media Venture: Some colleagues of mine – both from the Rhodes Scholar community at Oxford as well as at the Earth Institute at Columbia University – recently collaborated to start a podcast devoted to sustainable development. It’s called "Sense and Sustainability," and is aimed at filling what we viewed as a gap between what many perceive to be the increasing urgency of environmental sustainability, and accessible, non-polarizing media outlets devoted to exploring the relevant issues.

Why a Podcast? We decided this was an ideal medium, as it blended a personal touch with an opportunity for conveying broader insights. The podcast allows difficult concepts to be explained verbally with frequent questions, while maintaining a lighthearted and conversational tone that draws in its listeners. Whereas a written article usually presents one perspective, a podcast also highlights the diversity of views held by the speakers, and allows the wide-ranging perspectives that a single speaker may hold to emerge over the course of the conversation.

Success Rate: So far we’ve had a great response, with over 8,000 downloads from 52 different countries in the first two months alone! But we’d love to get some feedback from SFS alumni, and perhaps even feature some of them on the program! Let us know what you think.

Tuning In: Our website is www.senseandsustainability.net, and we are also listed on ITunes (search: “sense and sustainability”).