Making Little Rock More Sustainable
Recognized by Arkansas Business Publishing Group as a statewide Eco-Hero, Dr. Nancy Landrum, associate professor of management, is training sustainability-minded business professionals to lead through the next generation.
April Ambrose, chair of the Little Rock Sustainability Commission, on which Dr. Landrum has served since 2008, said “sustainable business is more than a discipline, but rather a passion, for her. The work of her students has led to enormous advances … to provide education, leadership, and a vision for current and future citizens, organizations, and departments of the City of Little Rock to sustain our environment, enhance our economy, and achieve social equity.”
Dr. Landrum developed UA Little Rock’s first undergraduate and graduate courses in sustainable business practices, in which students engage in service learning projects. Some of the projects have included Seguku Women’s Association of Uganda Africa, marketing and business development to learn about the realities of working with an organization in an emerging economy; Arkansas Energy Office, research to identify funding sources for businesses to implement energy efficient projects; and the Sustainable Business Network of Central Arkansas, to profile the growing number of sustainable businesses.
She has led her students to conduct sustainability audits and assessments and related market research for several Little Rock businesses and organizations, as well as for the city and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Her students have also completed sustainability projects for UA Little Rock, such as making recommendations for the College of Business to implement more environmentally-friendly practices, completing a greenhouse gas inventory, and creating videos for the university’s YouTube channel.
In the past four years, she has trained nearly 200 students through the course, and her students have completed consulting projects for 18 business entities. To assist students in finding employment, Dr. Landrum organizes an annual Green Jobs Fair, attracting more than 700 students.
Former student Robert Airo said his MBA capstone project for the city not only was a “true learning and application experience” but helped him get a new position at UAMS as a sustainability coordinator. It “was a direct deciding factor in the selection process for this position.”
Dr. Landrum’s degrees include a Ph.D. in business administration from New Mexico State University, an MBA from Idaho State University, and an M.A. degree in clinical psychology and a B.A. in psychology from Marshall University.