Faculty
Bethany Patten is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Policy and Engagement, Sustainability at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Her interests intersect at the crossroads of corporate and public policy, with a focus on environmental and social issues. She focuses on applying business practice theory to solve real-world challenges.
As an experienced operational leader, Bethany develops relationships with public and private sector organizations, identifying the sustainability-related challenges they face. Through those engagements, she develops learning curriculum for master’s-levels students, and teaches course sessions focused on problem formulation, continuous improvement, and change management for sustainability.
She is responsible for the growth and quality of MIT Sloan’s Sustainability Certificate and other programming for students pursuing careers of environmental and social impact. She leads the Sustainability Initiative’s efforts to accelerate the move toward evidence-based climate policy. Bethany has been an active contributor across MIT, where she serves on the Vice President for Research’s Climate Action Advisory Committee, has directed the MIT Sustainability Summit, and has led several projects on campus aimed at reducing waste.
Outside of MIT, Bethany is board member and treasurer for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, and served as president of Boston’s Bay Village Neighborhood Association. Prior to MIT, Bethany worked for more than a decade in business and financial operations in the book publishing industry.
Featured Publication
"Is It Easy Being Green?: MIT Sloan Considers the Opportunities and Threats of Sustainable Building."John D. Sterman, Ankita Kaulberg and Bethany Patten. In Case Study: MIT Sloan School Management Learning Edge, Cambridge, MA: 2020.
Featured Publication
"Climate-Related Financial Disclosures: The Use of Scenarios."Erik Landry, Louis Carranza, James R. Gomes, Henry Jacoby, Donald Lessard, Sergey Paltsev, and Bethany Patten. Cambridge, MA: November 2019.
John D. Sterman, Ankita Kaulberg and Bethany Patten. In Case Study: MIT Sloan School Management Learning Edge, Cambridge, MA: 2020.
A free, updated simulator allows users to visualize environmental impacts and better guide climate decision-making in their organizations.
Over 1,300 Sloanies and their guests returned to campus in early June to attend MIT Sloan Reunion 2023.
Bethany Patten thinks many businesses that take steps with eco-friendliness in mind might want to share their story.
MIT has offered a certificate programme in sustainability since 2011, and the number of students has mushroomed each year.
Demand for workers who understand E.S.G. will likely continue to grow, said Bethany Patten ...
For many companies, the topic of sustainability is at the forefront of business agendas. Consumers and stakeholders are demanding greater accountability from organizations, and the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly stringent. However, pursuing the environmental, social, and governance impacts of business is often met with tension. Leaders now need to manage the misconception within business that meeting sustainability goals means compromising profits.
This innovative business sustainability program applies a unique MIT Sloan framework to the topic of environmental and socio-economic sustainability and uses an engaging mix of interactive lectures, simulation games and action learning. Participants leave with practical and impactful strategies for building consensus and making change, and are empowered to take action on sustainability from the personal through enterprise level.
