Four faculty from the College of Human Development and Education had a paper accepted for presentation at the Hawaii International Conference on Education to be held January 2010 in Honolulu. Mari Borr, assistant professor in the School of Education; Angela Hodge, assistant professor of mathematics; Gerald Ketterling, assistant professor in the School of Education; and Kara Wolfe, assistant professor of apparel, design and hospitality management; will present “Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Environmental Education.”

The study created a foundation to identify where teachers are in the knowledge level and degree of implementation in their schools. It provided the topics for the authors to focus on for future professional development and programs to possibly be used to assist students and teachers to learn and be proactive in regard to sustainability in the environment.

"The importance of talking about sustainability is very important in a time where we consume and consume without consideration of the use of resources," Ketterling said. "What a better place to begin than in the middle school level or younger."

Ketterling was surprised with the lack of various understandings and implementation of some of the environmental issues. "Recycling is being done, but there is more to sustainability than recycling, and that is the purpose of the study – to find these gaps so we can all be more knowledgeable about the topic," he said.