Valerie Esposito
Valerie Esposito
Affiliated with Applied Sustainability, School of Social Innovation, Environmental Policy
About Dr. Valerie Esposito

Valerie Esposito has been at Champlain since July 2010 and is the Director for the Environmental Policy program. She teaches courses on Environmental Issues, Sustainability and Environmental Policy, Policy and Globalization, Place-based Environmental Study, Ecological Economics, and the Capstone.

Valerie attended American University, earning a B.A. in Justice. She received an M.A. from Brown University in Environmental Studies. She obtained her Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Ecological Economics from the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics and the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont.  She served as the Executive Director of the Vermont Earth Institute and has taught at UVM.

After college Valerie spent two years living abroad in Costa Rica and Chile, where she participated in environmental volunteer work and taught English. She pursued her international interests in her doctoral work, conducting research and working with local non-profit and non-governmental organizations in Costa Rica, Peru and the Dominican Republic. She is very interested in bringing this experience to the classroom, to ensure relevant local, national and global issues are addressed.  Her research interests include ecological literacy, education for sustainability, service learning and ecological economic policy implementation.

She is also active in Vermont's Localvore food movement, is a Board Member of the Vermont Ibutwa Initiative and is on the Advisory Boards of Vermonters for Sustainable Population and the Vermont Caribbean Institute.  Valerie enjoys spending time spending time with and friends and family and taking advantage of Vermont's playground, through skiing, hiking, biking, canoeing, camping, theater visits, ultimate frisbee and seeing live music.  Sustainable travel, gardening, reading, photography and cultivating her inner yogini also keep her busy.

Professional Associations

United States Society for Ecological Economics; International Society for Ecological Economics

Areas of Expertise

Ecological economics, sustainability education, place-based learning, community development

Valerie Esposito's Personal Favorites

Favorite tree: Weeping Willow

Most rewarding part of teaching: Students 'aha' moment, realizing the interconnectedness of nature and humans

Favorite part of living in Vermont: The mountains and lake