Lisa Kensler

Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor for Educational Leadership

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Academic Areas

Administration of Elementary and Secondary Education

Administration of Supervision and Curriculum

Educational Leadership

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Short Bio

Lisa A. W. Kensler (lisakensler@auburn.edu) is the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership in the College of Education at Auburn University. Her original training in ecology continues to fuel her love of systems thinking and the challenges located at the intersection of human and nature’s systems, particularly as they appear in PK-12 schooling. For more than two decades, Kensler has engaged in learning and teaching about systems thinking and sustainability. Her research over the past decade has focused on green schools and the leadership and learning required for transforming schools into more socially just, ecologically healthy, and economically viable communities that engage intentionally with the global sustainability movement. She has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to democratic community, systems thinking, trust, teacher leadership, and whole school sustainability/green schools.    

In 2017, she and Cynthia Uline co-authored, Leadership for Green Schools: Sustainability for Our Children, Our Communities, and Our Planet. In 2018, the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) recognized Kensler as one of its “Hidden Figures - behind the scenes giants in the field whose work cannot be ignored.” She and Cynthia Uline expect their second book, A Practical Guide to Leading Green Schools: Partnering with Nature to Create Vibrant, Flourishing, Sustainable Schools, to be published mid-2021.

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Education

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, 2008, Lehigh University

S.E.C. in Biology/Life Science, 1997, Old Dominion University

M.S. in Biology, 1996, Old Dominion University

B.S. in Biology, 1987, George Mason University

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Professional Experience

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