As TCU launches Lead On, a tangible representation of our brand identity—what we do, how we do it and why it matters, we are highlighting Horned Frogs who demonstrate the TCU culture: that sense of spirited belonging that fuels us to be better, achieve more and have an impact for the greater good. Strong brands don’t happen by accident—they are built from the inside out—cultivated by trailblazers like Mike Slattery. (Second in a TCU This Week series.)
Do we have an ethical responsibility to our natural environment? If so, how do we meet our obligation to nature? These are two questions posed to environmental studies students each semester, and an answer to both is the TCU Rhino Initiative.
Led by a professor who has dedicated his career to conservation efforts across the globe and researching the human impact on nature, the TCU Rhino Initiative is designed to help save and rehabilitate these animals that are nearing extinction at the hands of man.
Understanding leadership is one thing; successfully leading in the real world takes character, courage and vision. Mike Slattery is providing transformative programs for TCU and opportunities for our students to experience wildlife conservation in a broader context.
Slattery, director of the Institute for Environmental Studies, is an expert in physical hydrology, soil erosion, sediment, the human impact on river systems, pollution and the environmental impacts of wind energy. He has worked in diverse landscapes ranging from the Namib desert in southern Africa to the cloud forests of Costa Rica, testified before the U.S. Congress about mercury contamination from coal-fired power plants and led several international biodiversity and conservation programs, including the TCU Rhino Initiative.
Slattery earned bachelor’s degrees in geography, history of art and physical geography at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, a master’s degree in geography from the University of Toronto, and a doctorate in geography at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Learn more at LeadOn.tcu.edu.