PA Environment Digest

Kathleen Paul, former Director of the PA Center for Environmental Education, passed away last Saturday after losing her courageous battle with cancer.

Kathleen followed Dr. Paulette Johnson as the second Director of the Center, which was created in 1996 by Gov. Tom Ridge, established in law by Act 71 of 2009 and was based at Slippery Rock University. It was closed last year as a result of state budget cuts.

Under Kathleen's leadership, the Center expanded on its mission of being a statewide clearinghouse for environmental education resources by partnering with groups all over the state to make Environmental Education relevant and valuable to students and teachers.

She expanded the use of the Center website as a conduit to provide services to over 600 environmental centers and nonprofit organizations, to distribute environmental education materials and create teacher training opportunities.

"Few people can match Kathleen's enthusiasm and passion for environmental education. It is contagious. If you meet Kathleen, you have met a friend," said Patrick Henderson, Governor's Energy Executive and former Director of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. "She has, literally, helped to educate a generation of students, and we all owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude."

"Kathleen has been a tremendous leader in the environmental education community, working tirelessly with students, teachers and legislators to take the Center to the next level," said David Hess, former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. "Her dedication and vision made the Center a real resource for innovative approaches to environmental education."

Prior to becoming Center Director, Kathleen served as Director of Continuing and Professional Education at Penn State’s Shenango Campus and holds a BS in Environmental Education from Michigan State University and an MA in Adult and Community Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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