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Introduction

Conducting research is a major function of many colleges and universities. By researching sustainability issues and refining theories and concepts, higher education institutions can continue to help the world understand sustainability challenges and develop new technologies, strategies, and approaches to address those challenges.

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UNL technology powers Nebraska solar panel startup

  • University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)

This press release describes an exclusive licensing agreement between University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Rare Earth Solar, a Nebraska solar panel manufacturer. The technology licensed by the University replaces the typical …

  • Posted Aug. 14, 2017
  • Publications
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Clean Energy Patent Growth Index - 2015 Year in Review

The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) tracks the growth of patents in the clean energy sector from 2002 to the present. Among other things, it includes a ranking of …

Key trends in IEA public energy technology research, development and demonstration (RD&D) budgets

This analysis of public funding for energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) in member countries of the International Energy Agency shows that the share of energy RD&D budgets spent on …

Participants in Dickinson College's Valley and Ridge 2017 workshop got out into the field to learn how to weave sustainability into education.

Setting a Sustainability Standard

  • Dickinson College (PA)

Dickinson takes leadership role in helping faculty across a wide-range of disciplines prepare students to tackle tomorrow's sustainability challenges.

Strengthening Knowledge Co-Production Capacity: Examining Interest in Community-University Partnerships

Building successful, enduring research partnerships is essential for improving links between knowledge and action to address sustainability challenges. Communication research can play a critical role in fostering more effective research …

  • Posted June 20, 2017
  • Publications
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Research on energy savings opportunities in university libraries

Purpose – Mechanical systems in library environments are typically designed to run continuously in order to maintain the desired environmental conditions for preservation purposes, often resulting in a high cost …

  • Posted June 20, 2017
  • Publications
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Essential Ecoliteracy, or “earth smarts”: Defining and validating a pragmatic educational construct based on quality of life.

This study began with an attempt to find a definition of ecological literacy that was flexible enough to be useful in variety of contexts, but also included components that were …

  • Posted June 19, 2017
  • Publications
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Rethinking Thinking about Sustainability Curriculum

  • AASHE (MA)

“You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it.” Albert Einstein

If a snap of the fingers could reverse the environmental destruction of the past …

  • Posted June 9, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Climate Change Research at Universities: Addressing the Mitigation and Adaptation Challenges

This book provides a multidisciplinary review of current, climate-change research projects at universities around the globe, offering perspectives from all of the natural and social sciences.

Numerous universities worldwide pursue …

A persuasive feedback support system for energy conservation and carbon emission reduction in campus residential buildings

There is a need for energy conservation mechanisms, especially in university campuses, as students do not have any direct feedback on their energy consumptions, which leads to excess usages. There …

Personal authenticity and political subjectivity in student deliberation in environmental and sustainability education

This study problematizes what is meant when one talks about classroom activities concerning environmental and sustainability issues as being authentic or not. It reports excerpts from three classroom discussions which …

Examining Interdisciplinary Sustainability Institutes at Major Research Universities: Innovations in Cross-Campus and Cross-Disciplinary Models

  • Boston University (MA)
  • Brown University (RI)
  • Columbia University (NY)
  • Cornell University (NY)
  • Duke University (NC)
  • Johns Hopkins University (MD)
  • Northwestern University (IL)
  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)
  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • Stanford University (CA)
  • Texas A&M University (TX)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
  • University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
  • University of Arizona (AZ)
  • University of Michigan (MI)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
  • Vanderbilt University (TN)

This is a study of the disctintive characteristics, activities, challenges and opportunities of a specific type of sustainability institute, one that spans the many disciplines of the university and, to …

University of California, Climate Lab, Video Series Episode Five: The fight to rethink (and reinvent) nuclear power

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)

This is the fifth episode of Climate Lab, a six-part series produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox. Hosted by Emmy-nominated conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan, the …

  • Posted May 22, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Welding Hydroelectric Raceway

Modern Sustainability

  • University of Hawaii Kauai Community College (HI)

RECENT PROJECTS:

  • Beach Cleanup Caddy (complete - STEM grant award pending - awaiting field testing) - Assembled a cart system specifically designed for beach cleanups, outfitted with a detachable metal …

Designing a Photovoltaic Array for Smith College

  • Smith College (MA)

The development of distributed solar energy is an opportunity for individuals and institutions to support the growth of the clean energy economy, lower their carbon footprint, promote energy security, and …

Integration of interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability education and research and urban sustainability

  • Global Council Science and the Environment (DC)

This article explores the results of the National Council for Science and the Environment’s 2012 census of interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability (IES) baccalaureate and graduate degree programs and the 2014 …

Wind Power Feasibility Study for Ball State University

  • Ball State University (IN)

Based on two years of site-specific wind speed measurements and actual power curve performance estimates of five commercial wind turbines, a feasibility study of wind-power potential near Ball State University …

Oregon Climate Change Research Institute

  • Oregon State University (OR)

The Oregon Climate Change Research Institute is an institute underneath Oregon State’s Advancing the Science of Earth’s Ecosystems center. The institution was created by the Oregon Legislature and includes many …

  • Posted May 15, 2017
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Florida Gulf Coast University Emerging Technologies Institute

  • Florida Gulf Coast University (FL)

The FGCU Emerging Technologies institute is an off campus institute designed to facilitate projects and research in regards to sustainable technology. Projects will be geared towards environmental sustainability and renewable …

  • Posted May 15, 2017
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Biofuels and Bioproducts Research Lab

  • University of South Florida (Tampa) (FL)

The focus of research at the Biofuels and Bioproducts research lab includes studying the chemical makeup of algae and the economic and physical feasibility of optimizing it as an alternative …

  • Posted May 15, 2017
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for Integrative Conservation Research

  • University of Georgia (GA)

Established in 2007 after several years of planning and funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the CICR seeks to bring together conservation experts from across disciplines …

  • Posted May 15, 2017
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology (NUCRET)

  • Northeastern University (MA)

NUCRET leads the national and worldwide effort in developing the fuel cells of the future based on the platinum free catalysts, as well as novel chemistries for advanced rechargeable batteries …

  • Posted May 15, 2017
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Content trends in sustainable business education: an analysis of introductory courses in the USA

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)

Purpose - This study aims to identify the content in introductory business sustainability courses in the USA to determine the most frequently assigned reading material and its sustainability orientation.

Design/methodology/approach …

The Urban Agriculture Community-based Research Experience (U-ACRE) Project

  • California State University, Fullerton (CA)
  • Fullerton College (CA)
  • Santa Ana College (CA)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)

In Orange County, 36% of low-income households experience hunger at least once a day and well over 1/3 are children. Engaging students in experiential learning that addresses sustainability in the …

Arts and humanities inquiry in the Long-Term Ecological Research Network: empathy, relationships, and interdisciplinary collaborations

  • Michigan State University (MI)
  • Oregon State University (OR)
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK)

The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is a collection of 25 National Science Foundation-funded sites committed to long-term, place-based investigation of the natural world. While activities primarily focus on ecological …

Enhancing and promoting interdisciplinarity in higher education

  • University of Florida (FL)

Interdisciplinarity represents an effort to achieve integrative knowledge in an age of increasing academic specialization. It is an intrinsic feature of the environmental sciences and the emerging field of sustainability …

Distinguishing collaboration from contribution in environmental research

  • University at Buffalo (NY)
  • State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)

In this paper, we distinguish contributory from collaborative approaches to interdisciplinary environmental research. A characteristic feature of the collaborative approach is that emphasis is placed on the process of collaborative …

Shared place and space: a comparison of two interdisciplinary graduate programs

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Interdisciplinary training has an important role to play in environmental research, but what aspects of interdisciplinary training are most helpful for graduate students as they seek to define themselves as …

A framework for collaborative climate change research

  • Colgate University (NY)

There is a growing understanding in the scientific community that the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of indigenous peoples and other local communities is both different from data collected by scientists …

Scholarly motivations to conduct interdisciplinary climate change research

  • Boston University (MA)
  • Idaho State University (ID)
  • Northern Illinois University (IL)
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
  • University of Pennsylvania (PA)
  • Whitman College (WA)

Understanding and responding to today’s complex environmental problems requires collaboration that bridges disciplinary boundaries. As the barriers to interdisciplinary research are formidable, promoting interdisciplinary environmental research requires understanding what motivates …

Greening Federal Grants: Why there is a need to connect efficiency to federal funding for research at universities

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
  • AASHE (MA)
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (CO)

This webinar will includes two parts: PART 1: The Department of Energy (DOE) will provide an overview of the DOE Smart Labs Accelerator Program which was launched at the 2016 …

  • Posted May 4, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Re-imagining environmental science and policy graduate education for the twenty-first century using an integrative frame

  • Clark University (MA)

To meet society’s need to better understand and respond to ever-more complex, interwoven problems of environment, development, and society - including environmental health risks, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development …

Teaching Social Research Methods on an International, Collaborative Environment & Sustainability Degree Programme: Exploring plagiarism, group work, and formative feedback

International collaboration is central to the Sustainable Development agenda given environmental challenges that span national boundaries. Education for Sustainability therefore needs to account for international/intercultural understandings, such as though international …

Sustainable knowledge transformation in and through higher education: A case for transdisciplinary leadership

  • Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway (Co. Galway)

This article explores inter- and transdisciplinarity, given the need for more complex, relevant, and transformative knowledge to shift society towards more sustainable futures. It connects practical questions about economic, societal, …

Higher Education in the Environmental Century

The environmental crisis that threatens the future of our species is unprecedented as we begin the “environmental century.” Natural conditions that were favorable for the development of civilization have been …

Showing the effect of heat/cold on air using a balloon

UAlbany's Annual Family Earth Day

  • University at Albany (NY)

The University’s 5th Annual UAlbany Family Earth Day, organized by the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (DAES), Atmospheric Science Research Center, Office of Sustainability and UAlbany Students for Sustainability, …

Doctoral student Casey Franklin demonstrates the Humble Bee app, which rewards students for sustainable behaviors.

Humble Bee App

  • Cornell University (NY)

Doctoral student Casey Franklin demonstrates the Humble Bee app, which rewards students for sustainable behaviors.She tabled her app at Springfest, which is a celebration of Earth day.

University of California Climate Lab, Video Series Episode Two: Going green shouldn't be this hard

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)

This is the second episode of Climate Lab, a six-part series produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox. Hosted by Emmy-nominated conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan, the …

  • Posted April 28, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network: A Multi-Institution Program to Research and Reduce Nitrogen Pollution

  • Brown University (RI)
  • Colorado State University (CO)
  • Dickinson College (PA)
  • Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
  • University of Chicago (IL)
  • University of New Hampshire (NH)
  • University of Virginia (VA)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

Humans release reactive nitrogen into the environment at a rate that is 4 to 5 times as large as from natural terrestrial processes. They do this by producing and applying …

  • Posted April 26, 2017
  • Publications
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Earth Day Award Recipients - Our student, faculty, and staff award winners! From left to right: Ivy Coble, Dara Middleton, Dr. Joy O'Keefe, and Dr. Jim Speer These four people have worked so diligently to ensure the campus and community keeps striving to be the best version of itself.

Honored Members of the Sustainability Community

  • Indiana State University (IN)

Our student, faculty, and staff award winners! From left to right: Ivy Coble, Dara Middleton, Dr. Joy O'Keefe, and Dr. Jim Speer

These four people have worked so diligently to …

  • Posted April 25, 2017
  • Photographs
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University of California Climate Lab, Video Series Episode One: Why humans are so bad at thinking about climate change

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)

This is the first episode of Climate Lab, a six-part series produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox. Hosted by Emmy-nominated conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan, the …

  • Posted April 24, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
  • View more

Good practice in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the UK: Case Studies

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is described by UNESCO as enabling us to address present and future global challenges and create more sustainable and resilient societies by changing the way …

  • Posted April 17, 2017
  • Publications
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Universities and the Sustainable Development Future: Evaluating Higher-Education Contributions to the 2030 Agenda

Since the mid-1970s, a series of international declarations that link environment and sustainable development to all aspects of higher learning have been endorsed and signed by universities around the world. …

  • Posted April 17, 2017
  • Publications
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Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education: Remaking Education for the Future

  • Lakehead University (ON)

This book provides a critique of over two decades of sustained effort to infuse educational systems with education for sustainable development. Taking to heart the idea that deconstruction is a …

  • Posted March 28, 2017
  • Publications
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STARS & Beyond: Adventures of an Embedded Librarian in the Campus Sustainability Office

  • University of Utah (UT)

Webinar [30 mins], presented by Amy Brunvand for the American Library Association Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) on 3/9/17. Amy Brunvand, an academic librarian at the University of Utah, took a …

  • Posted March 15, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Higher Education in the World: Towards a Socially Responsible University: Balancing the Global with the Local

The 6th Higher Education in the World Report deals with the dual responsibilities of universities at local and global scale, exploring the potential conflict, or intrinsic difficulties, in addressing both …

  • Posted March 14, 2017
  • Publications
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Campus as a Living Laboratory for Sustainability Resources

  • Princeton University (NJ)

Google doc with links to general resources, scholarly works, STARS data, and campus' websites for case studies on Campus as (Living, Learning) Lab for sustainability. Please feel free to suggest …

AASHE Award Winner Webinar - Using a Design Competition to Expand Bee Habitat On and Off-Campus

  • University of Manitoba (MB)
  • AASHE (MA)

BEE / HOUSE / LAB was an international design competition at the University of Manitoba that resulted in innovative bee houses built, installed around campus and used for research. The …

  • Posted March 2, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability as competitive advantage in higher education in the UK

  • University of Leeds (West Yorkshire)

This paper draws on a series of five ESRC-funded seminars held between 2006 and 2008 on 'Sustainability as competitive advantage in higher education in the UK'. We sketch the background …

  • Posted March 1, 2017
  • Publications
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Towards a Real-world Laboratory: A Transdisciplinary Case Study from Lüneburg

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Real-world laboratories have gained currency in transdisciplinary sustainability research. Establishing real-world laboratories by means of a transdisciplinary process offers promising prospects since it fosters trust among the participants and leads …

  • Posted Feb. 20, 2017
  • Publications
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

AC 9: Research & Scholarship

AC 9: Support for Sustainability Research

AC 10: Open Access to Research

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

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