USask Sustainability Fellowship Profile: Scott Bell

Grounding Students in Sustainability at USask: Scott Bell's Fellowship Journey

Finding the Sustainability Connection  

For Scott Bell, sustainability has long been both a personal concern and a professional opportunity. As a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, Bell’s work centers on mapping, geomatics, and spatial data analysis. Through the Sustainability Faculty Fellowship, he found new ways to connect those technical tools to real-world sustainability challenges and help students do the same.  

Bell joined the fellowship with a desire to deepen their understanding of sustainability leadership within academia. While much of their teaching and research already involved data relevant to sustainability, the fellowship encouraged them to think more intentionally about how those connections could be made visible and meaningful for students. 

“I realized that while I was working with data relevant to sustainability, I wasn’t always explicitly framing that work in terms of sustainability challenges or decision-making,” Bell explained.  

Bringing Sustainability into the Classroom 

Through the fellowship, one of the most significant ways Bell incorporated sustainability into their teaching was through making these connections more deliberate. In the first-year FYRE program, students are challenged to connect their mapping projects to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rather than simply identifying a relevant goal, students must use spatial data and analysis to justify those connections.  

Projects often draw on datasets such as census information, land-use records, and environmental indicators to explore issues including urban inequality, access to services, and environmental change. This approach encourages students to see mapping as more than a technical skill. It becomes a tool for understanding and addressing complex sustainability challenges.  

“I wanted students to think about how spatial data could be used to investigate real-world issues,” said Bell. “The goal is to help them see how data and spatial thinking could inform sustainability decision-making.” 

Students Taking Ownership  

Bell observed meaningful changes in how students engaged with their coursework when sustainability themes were incorporated. Students often pursued more creative and self-directed projects, connecting data sources to sustainability issues in ways that extended beyond course requirements. 

This inquiry-driven approach helped students develop confidence in asking their own research questions and using evidence-based methods to explore potential answers. Bell noted that students demonstrated greater curiosity and ownership over their work when they connect technical skills to issues that they find personally meaningful.  

Sustainability Beyond the Classroom

The impact of the fellowship extended beyond Bell’s individual teaching practice. During their department’s Academic Program Review, Bell found themselves acting as a bridge between the fellowship and departmental discussions about curriculum and program development.  

This experience highlighted how individual actions could contribute to broader institutional change. By bringing sustainability perspectives into program-level conversations, Bell helped create opportunities for colleagues to consider how sustainability and the SDGs might be more intentionally embedded within departmental planning.  

Reflecting on the experience, Bell strongly encouraged other faculty members to consider participating in the Sustainability Faculty Fellowship.  For them, the most meaningful aspect of the fellowship was the cohort experience. Regular engagement with colleagues across disciplines created a supportive environment for testing ideas, receiving feedback, and learning from others who were also exploring ways to embed sustainability into their work. 

“The cohort model is incredibly valuable,” he said. “It provides both community and accountability, while creating space to reflect on your teaching and learn from others. Those conversations have impacts that extend well beyond an individual course.”  

Through the fellowship, Bell came to appreciate how sustainability could be woven into existing teaching and research practices in meaningful ways. By helping students connect spatial thinking to real-world challenges, and by contributing to broader conversations within their department, he continues to demonstrate how sustainability can become an integral part of academic work and student learning.  

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Dr. Bell's fellowship work directly supports the Sustainability Strategy, particularly Commitment 3: Empower Action. For more information on the strategy, please visit the Office of Sustainability’s website. 

Visit our page to learn more about the Sustainability Faculty Fellowship, or email Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning.

This resource is shared by the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL), University of Saskatchewan, under a CC BY-NC-SA license.