Danna Blumenau is a serial entrepreneur and curator of new ideas with a special interest in energy. Danna has a bachelor’s degree in Art and Technology from the University of Texas at Dallas and is currently working on a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on the intersection of energy, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
Danna is the President of Blue Mesa Minerals, which she uses as a platform to teach mineral owners how to maximize their mineral rights. As stewards of the nation’s energy resources, mineral owners and landowners need knowledge and guidance to maximize their energy resources for their benefit as well as the benefit of society as a whole. Using her background in Art & Technology combined with her knowledge of the energy industry, Danna publishes educational content regarding all aspects of mineral ownership.
Background: I grew up in Los Alamos, NM, in the shadow of the pioneers of nuclear technology. With a legacy of innovation and secrecy, my peers and I were the children of top engineers and doctors who never talked about their work at the Department of Energy national laboratory but were passionate about science and emerging technology. By grade school, I knew which canyons were off-limits due to environmental contamination and which were protected by armed guards who shot first and asked questions later. This remote and secretive town was located in the high desert mountains, surrounded by the ruins of Native American civilizations. The nearby Pueblo and Navajo tribes continue to live in harmony with nature, and we adopted many of their sustainable customs: adobe houses that kept us cool during the arid July days, passive solar heating in the winter, water conservation through xeriscaping and composting to grow vegetables in the sandy soil. Sustainability was a way of life for us long before anyone heard of the controversy of climate change. The juxtaposition of nuclear energy innovation and sustainable living profoundly affected me and led to a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship and sustainability.
What Led You to Pursue a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies?
I am a non-traditional student, and I did not want to follow a pre-defined degree plan. Instead, I wanted to carve my own path and study energy, sustainability, and entrepreneurship interdisciplinary. The MAIS program gave me the flexibility to follow my passion and the skills to solve today’s complex, interconnected problems.
Why Is an Interdisciplinary Approach Important?
The rapid shift from the post-Industrial Revolution to the Digital Age has created an interrelated global society with increasingly complex and interconnected problems. Solving these problems requires working with multiple cultures and forms of knowledge, transcending the confines of single disciplines. This new approach to problem-solving requires not only disciplinary expertise but interdisciplinary expertise.