Robin Fenske, Phd student

 
 

Links:

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Systems Science Graduate Program website

Portland State University: in the glorious Pacific Northwest, in Portland, Oregon

 

Robin Fenske is a full time fourth year PhD student (ABD) in the Systems Science Graduate Program at Portland State University. 


She is currently writing her dissertation proposal, a mixed methods study of materialism and how increasing intrinsically satisfying activities can encourage sustainable lifestyles. She is focusing on urban gardening as an example of a nonmaterialistic activity that can satisfy psychological needs and increase well-being.


She is also involved in several research projects with Portland State University faculty. The first is a project using food carbon footprint data to teach consumers and measure the impact of education on consumer's intentions and behaviors. The second project is an ISS Solutions Generator project, and is a Life Cycle Analysis of PSU Dining Services.


Robin has worked as a research assistant for Portland Sustainability Institute (PoSI) managing a project to develop an assessment method for EcoDistricts, building a best practices library, and writing toolkits for EcoDistricts.


She was also a research assistant on an interdepartmental grant funded by OTREC, investigating the environmental implications of purchasing decisions by intermediary food businesses, including and assessment of food-miles and transportation modes, packaging considerations, and waste disposal transportation needs. 


She holds a Masters of Science in Systems Science from Portland State University, a Bachelor of Science from The Evergreen State College, and has professional experience as an energy economics research analyst at McCullough Research. She is a native of Colorado, an avid gardener, and loves to eat blueberries fresh off the bush.


She holds a Bachelor of Science from The Evergreen State College in Washington, and has professional experience as an energy economics research analyst at McCullough Research.

 


Curriculum Vita summary




Email: RFenske@pdx.edu


Mailing Address:

Systems Science Graduate Program

1604 SW 10th Ave.

Portland, OR 97201-3503    




Education:

PhD in Systems Science, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, Fall 2007 – Present.

Masters of Science in Systems Science, Portland State University, Spring 2010.

Bachelor of Science in Sustainability, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington 2002 – 2005.




Professional Positions Held:

Graduate Research Assistant, Portland Sustainability Institute, Winter 2009 - Fall 2010.

Graduate Research Assistant, Portland State University, Systems Science Program, Dr. Wayne Wakeland, Winter 2008 – Fall 2009.

Senior Research Analyst & Office Manager, McCullough Research, Portland, Oregon, June 2005 – August 2007.




Research Projects:

Research Assistant on Life Cycle Analysis of Portland State University Dining Services: Spring 2011.

Research Lead on Food Carbon Footprint Training:  Determining its Effects on Consumer Knowledge, Transfer Intentions, and Environmental Self-Efficacy, Fall 2008 – Present.

Research Assistant on inter-departmental research grant Food Delivery Carbon Footprint.  Portland State University, Winter 2008 – Present.

Senior Capstone Project: Sustainability in On-Campus Housing.  The Evergreen State College, Winter & Spring 2005.




Publications, Conference Papers, Grant Writing, and other Writing

Grant Report, Food Delivery Carbon Footprint, Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, March 19, 2009.

Presentation, Food Delivery Carbon Footprint, 2nd Annual International Conference on Business & Sustainability, October 17, 2008.

Grant Application, Reducing Food Transportation System Demand, March 2008.

Grant Application, Assessing the Impact of an Enhanced Tool and Training Program on Food Sustainability, February 2008.

Robert McCullough’s Report to the Democratic Policy Committee on Regulation and Forward Markets: Lessons from Enron and the Western Market Crisis.  May 8, 2006.

Fenske, R. & Bell, JG. Dialogue and Systems Thinking: Building a Bridge for the Practitioner.  2004.




Full Curriculum Vita: FenskeVita.pdf