News

(Portland, OR) July 1, 2011- Jennifer H. Allen has been named the interim associate director of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University (PSU), the institute announced today.

"The institute will benefit tremendously from Jennifer taking on this role," said Robert Costanza, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions. "Her extensive experience will be vital in moving forward our ambitious goals to make PSU a global leader in sustainability."

Allen is an Associate Professor of Public Administration and one of the region's foremost leaders in sustainability. Prior to 2009, she served as interim Director of PSU's Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices, the precursor to the institute. In this role, she supported the development of sustainability-related research and curricula across campus, as well as fostering partnerships between the University and other institutions in the region and internationally. This month, students from PSU's Division of Public Administration voted Allen faculty of the year.

Allen has previously worked at the World Bank, Ecotrust and the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. She currently serves on the boards of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and Illahee, and is a member of the Multnomah County Advisory Committee on Sustainability and Innovation. She previously served on the Portland-Multnomah County Sustainable Development Commission as well as on the boards of Shorebank Pacific, Food Alliance and Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. She holds degrees from Yale University, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and George Mason University.

The Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University is the hub for PSU's diverse sustainability initiatives. The institute facilitates integrated research, learning and service to lead PSU to become a globally recognized model of sustainability and lay the path to a more sustainable and desirable future. www.pdx.edu/sustainability