GRADUATE FACULTY

Dr. Ron Von Burg is an Associate Professor of Communication, Director of Graduate Studies, Director of the Graduate Programs in Sustainability, and Core Faculty in both the Interdisciplinary Humanities Program and the Master’s Program in Sustainability. Von Burg, currently the Program Director for the Graduate Program in Communication, is the incoming Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives. In the new role, he also will serve as Program Director for Liberal Arts Studies and LifeLong Learning. Von Burg is also serving as the current director of the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute.

Dr. Von Burg contributes notably to scholarship on the rhetoric of contemporary argument intersecting religious and scientific views. His research interests include rhetoric of science communication, public argument, public discourses on religion and science, sustainability studies, rhetoric of algorithms, and science fiction film studies. His work has appeared in Critical Studies in Media Communication, Southern Journal of Communication, Journal of Public Deliberation, and POROI.

Dr. Rebecca Dickson is a strong education professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in Geography from Clark University. She is an experienced spatial analyst and educator with a demonstrated history of working for non-profits, private companies and in the higher education industry. She is skilled in GIS, Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, and Spatial Modeling with a focus on Ecosystem Services, Land Cover Change and Sustainability.

Roian Atwood holds a Master's of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He has worked with corporate leadership and an organization of 42,000 associates, supporting communities and families by retailing the essential items for people who live life out here. Working cross-functionally with senior management and committees, he has developed a business acumen that allows him to communicate the most relevant principles of sustainability to an organization. He provides leadership and strategic direction for global companies with an expertise in all aspects of corporate sustainability. Roian feels that it is a privilege to shepherd a corporate sustainability platform.

Scott Schang is an expert on environmental law and governance. He is a Professor of Practice at Wake Forest where he directs the School's Environmental Law and Policy Clinic. He is also the senior director of corporate engagement at Landesa, an international land rights NGO, where he leads Landesa's work on responsible investment in land. He has extensive experience working with corporations, multilateral investment banks, international development agencies, international and local civil society partners, and community members in designing and implementing socially responsible practices and in designing and assessing the efficacy of environmental legal systems.

Jon Clift is an Assistant Professor of Practice with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Affiliate Professor of Practice at the School of Business, and Director of Outreach for the Sustainability Graduate Programs. He empowers students, colleagues, and clients to explore problems and develop new to the world ideas. After spending nearly a decade in the design field as a creative strategist working with startups to Fortune 100 clients, Jon knows we are all creative, and believes that with grit and a growth mindset we can all unlock our creative confidence.

Jon has developed branding solutions for some of the world’s largest firms from VF Corporation to Walmart, implemented transformative courses and curricula at Wake Forest University, incorporated human-centered design and systems thinking as core competencies in graduate programs, and worked with student teams to develop impactful solutions for entrepreneurs, non-profits, and global corporations.

Jon holds a Masters of Environmental Management in Business & the Environment from Duke University.

Elise Barrella, Ph.D., P.E., really enjoys working with diverse teams on multi-disciplinary projects related to infrastructure systems, spatial justice, and sustainability. She has nearly 20 years of professional and research experience in the transportation and engineering education fields, and provides leadership in mixed-methods research, curriculum development and instruction, and design thinking facilitation. Elise has completed research sponsored by Federal Highway Administration, National Science Foundation, state DOTs, and private foundations. As an engineering faculty member at James Madison University and a founding faculty member of Wake Forest University’s Engineering Department, she infused sustainability concepts and community engagement in interdisciplinary design courses from first year to capstone. As the founder of DfX Consulting LLC, Elise currently provides research and consulting services for the education and transportation sectors and teaches design thinking. She also uses her expertise to support local non-profit organizations including Community Design Studio of NC, Creative Corridors Coalition, and Boston-Thurmond Community Engagement Roundtable.