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Michael Goodsite '08 |
Michael Goodsite '08
Michael Goodsite ‘08 is willing to go to the ends of the Earth to solve today’s environmental issues. In fact, he already has.
He’s been to arctic and alpine regions in search of answers to global environment and climate issues. When he was completing his chemistry Ph.D. at the University of Copenhagen, he found himself drilling samples from the permafrost and investigating historical records of pollution in the Canadian Arctic.
“I am convinced that the quickest way to positively improve the global environment is through the actions of large multinational corporations,” says Goodsite, who recently led the University of Southern Denmark’s Physics and Chemistry Department. “I wanted to earn an MBA to be able to move into a global environmental or a corporate leadership role.”
Even without the MBA, Goodsite’s resume is impressive. He holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from The University of Southern Denmark and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Arizona. He also had an illustrious military career serving as commander of an Allied Command Counterintelligence detachment, and as director of Cyber Counterintelligence Activity.
The leadership and scientific skills he’s honed over the years, he feels, will be a perfect complement to the business degree he’ll earn through Thunderbird’s European-based Executive MBA program.
“MBAs can and will bridge the gap between the fields necessary to improve the global environment,” says the 38-year-old American who has worked and lived in Denmark for 11 years. He’s also called Germany, Sweden, France, Switzerland and Japan his home.
Is it easy being an American leading a university department in Denmark? Absolutely not, says Goodsite. “You have to have a healthy respect for cultural norms, and I try to improve my language skills daily.” Despite facing typical leadership challenges, Goodsite has had success in developing university-business partnerships that are benefiting his students.
“I have increased cooperation with private companies and have allowed them to rent laboratory space, benefiting all of the stakeholders,” he explains. “In the process of renovating laboratories, I am also in dialog with many of the future employers, so that our students will be able to move from university to industrial laboratories with minimal retraining.”
While Goodsite admits to thoroughly enjoying his work in the academic setting, he says he’s looking forward to the next chapter in his career. “When the time is right, I hope to be given the opportunity to lead within a multinational firm or NGO, dealing with the global environment.”