Dr. Baust is the director for the center and also a faculty member of the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education in the College of Education. He has served on the Board of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) from 1998-2006 and was president of the organization in 2005.
He currently serves as Past-President and Co-Chair of the Arts and Culture Commission. As a result of his interest in the infusion of arts in environmental education, programs have been developed and shared with the members of NAAEE with such noted persons as Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, John McCutcheon, and Josh White, Jr. Video productions have been presented to include the John Denver song, Yellowstone Coming Home Project 2007 with permission from John's manager and is currently available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmDluZllTdA).
Recognition for his contributions to the field were acknowledged in 2007 by the NAAEE as he was bestowed the Walter E. Jeske Award, the highest honor for an environmental educator. In addition in 2008 he received the Earth Day Award for his leadership in the Commonwealth by the KY Environmental Quality Commission.
Dr. Baust has also served as the president of the KY Association of Environmental Education, Friends of Land Between the Lakes, and was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to the Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board. His participation in the field as a leader has cut across local, state, national levels. His program on environmental sustainability in Bregenz Austria is unique to the Commonwealth and the U.S. and has been ongoing since 2000.
As director he is responsible for meeting the KY Master Plan for Environmental Education that includes. passed by the State Legislator. IT includes: 1) training educators and future leaders; 2) coordinate regional services; 3) develop programs and curriculum; 4) conduct research.
In conjunction with this mission Dr. Baust is the Chairperson of the Kentucky University Partnership for Environmental Education that consists of centers for environmental education at the KY state universities to implement the Master Plan for Environmental Education. Programs that are a part of this network include training in national/international programs in Project WILD, Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Leopold Project, Project Food, Land and People, to name a few.
Under his leadership Murray State University was the first center that was approved by the KY Education Professional Standards Board to offer an teaching endorsement in environmental education.
For further information about the Center for Environmental Education at Murray State University, the classes and offerings, the resource center, and staff please check the center webpage. (http://coekate.murraystate.edu/cee/)