Mark Mackey, S.J.

Lecturer, School of Environmental Sustainability

Br. Mackey is a Jesuit brother and an ecologist. Entering college he decided to follow his passion for nature and animals and to major in zoology and environmental science. His love for reptiles and amphibians led him to take a herpetology course as an undergraduate, and this launched him into the world of research and field work. As an undergraduate he studied the impacts of pesticides on frog metamorphosis and then furthered these interests into graduate school where he investigated the impacts of golf courses on headwater stream ecosystems in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Now, as a Jesuit, Br. Mackey is interested in how natural history knowledge can enhance one’s relationship with the natural world. He is also interested in how an ecological lens can be brought to Ignatian Spirituality, and how Ignatian Spirituality can be practiced to help ground people against increasing experiences of eco-anxiety. In the spring semester, Br. Mackey teaches ENVS 285: Eco-spirituality, which explores how ecological efforts are enhanced by including a spiritual dimension, and how spirituality and religion must include awareness and engagement with ecology and ecological issues.