Molly Burhans ’15 (center) takes sketch notes with classmates during the fall orientation trip. Photo: Rachel Lindsay ’15
Please join us in congratulating Conway alum Molly Burhans ’15 on her recent profile in The New Yorker! New Yorker staff writer David Owens tells the story of how Molly set about mapping Catholic property holdings across the globe and the potential for the Church to strategically manage its land to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
In addition to reading the article, we recommend making a visit to the Goodlands website. Molly founded this recently incorporated organization (with pending 501(c)3 status) after graduating in 2015. Though the mission of the organization seems simple enough (“We help people use land for good”), realizing that mission requires the use of advanced mapping programs, engagement with a diversity of stakeholders, and critical rethinking of land management and stewardship. Molly shared some background about the inspiration for her work in the 2016 issue of Conway’s con’text magazine: Laudato Si’ and Ecological Design.
Molly has an impressive portfolio, has received numerous fellowships (including being named an Ashoka Fellow in 2018), and has spoken in many venues to many audiences. As the Chief Cartographer for the first global data-based maps of the Catholic Church, Molly is building bridges between disciplines, organizations, and geographical scales. Her commitment, focus, and creativity continue to inspire us, and we cannot wait to see what she does next!
Molly Burhans ’15 (second from left) with her classmates at graduation. L to R: Chris Hendershot, Molly Burhans, Aitan Mizrahi, Hillary Collins, Jillian Ferguson, Jeffrey Frisch, Jennie Bergeron, Jordan Clark, Ben Fairbank, Rachel Lindsay, Alex Krofta, Janice Schmidt, Dave Weber, Beth Batchelder, Cary White, Kaitlyn O’Brien, Russell Wallack
The article mentions the real world projects that Molly worked on while a student at Conway. These include:
- Site designs for a community garden for Springfield, Massachusetts nonprofit Gardening the Community
- Citywide pollinator plan for Portland, Maine nonprofit WildSeed Project, by Beth Batchelder, Molly Burhans, and Cary White
- Framework plan for sustainable agriculture and water management in Mali, West Africa, with Chris Hendershot
Molly Burhans worked on three design and planning projects as a student at Conway.
Click the links above to see some of her work and the work of her teammates.