Sioux Falls, SD — David O'Hara is a professor, environmentalist and advocate for sustainable change. Raised by a father with deep reverence for land and ecosystems and a mother with a strong commitment to social justice, he learned the importance of working for communal benefit. He champions practical solutions rooted in philosophical pragmatism. From fostering healthy urban agricultural ecosystems, to supporting Indigenous cultures, his work aims to create a more sustainable and just world. As a professor at Augustana University, he established programs that foster a new generation of leaders. The Bush Fellowship will help him expand his work in ways that he hopes will affect his entire state. He will take a sabbatical to travel and enhance his learning. He also plans to take courses that will fill his knowledge gaps in laboratory sciences and visit key sites and meet with groundbreaking individuals around the world to learn from them directly. He hopes to inspire others to embrace the idea that "flourishing is mutual" and the imperative of collective action for a thriving planet.
