Laurel Schut (she/her) began teaching at the College of Sustainability in 2019. She has co-designed and currently teaches several courses, including Food Systems & Sustainability (SUST 3101), Environmental Decision Making (SUST 3000), Introductory Conflict Management for Sustainability (SUST/MGMT 2105), and two summer field courses: Local Approaches to Sustainability (SUST 3301) and Measuring Food Sustainability (SUST/AGRI 3302). Laurel is also the Halifax Campus Coordinator for the new Certificate in Food, Agriculture & Sustainability 鈥� a 15-credit program open to all undergraduate students at 正品蓝导航.
As a self-described "multipotentialite," Laurel has interests and passions in many different fields. The College of Sustainability not only allows for this but celebrates diverse knowledge and passions as a necessity to innovative problem-solving and positive change. As an instructor, one of her goals is to show students that having diverse interests is not only okay 鈥� it鈥檚 a great way to connect ideas in creative ways (and there are many callings and roles for collective liberation). Her courses reflect her background and studies in environmental studies, international development, conflict management, and mediation, as well as her core values of authenticity, connection, and making a difference.
Laurel is passionate about creative, effective, and care-based teaching. She鈥檚 involved in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), where she focuses on projects such as improving conflict communication skills, incorporating game-based learning into climate change education, building student resilience against eco-anxiety, and exploring the trust relationship between students and instructors in higher education. In 2024, Laurel was honoured with the 正品蓝导航 Legacy Award for Contract & Limited Term Appointment Excellence in Teaching.
As an advocate for 鈥渞est as resistance鈥� (Tricia Hersey, 2022), Laurel is also a Faculty Associate with 正品蓝导航鈥檚 Centre for Learning and Teaching. In this role, she co-leads a Community of Practice (CoP) for Dal faculty members, focusing on well-being and teaching effectiveness.
Outside of teaching, Laurel is deeply involved in her community and has led several local and provincial initiatives. From 2016-2022 she was Co-Founder and Co-Director of FOUND Forgotten Food, Nova Scotia鈥檚 first organization focused on rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to local community groups in need. Laurel also served two terms as a Board Director for Divert NS, a not-for-profit corporation championing recycling and waste reduction in Nova Scotia.
As a parallel passion, Laurel has over a decade of experience as an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) and Certified Fitness Instructor. This background has greatly informed her work as a post-secondary instructor, allowing her to bring transferrable skills into the classroom, such as providing clear and individualized instruction, creating a welcoming environment, offering gentle encouragement for challenging tasks, prioritizing rest, and encouraging self-study and introspection as a necessary component to fostering healthy relationships with others (a key piece of sustainability). Many students have commented on and appreciate Laurel鈥檚 calm and supportive energy.