Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

UMass Amherst Establishes New School of Earth and Sustainability

  • 04/21/16

AMHERST, MA – The University of Massachusetts Amherst has established a new School of Earth and Sustainability (SES), which will serve as a central hub for a suite of academic programs, research, innovation, outreach and extension activities focused on finding solutions to the complex, global environmental challenges of the 21st century.

The UMass Board of Trustees approved the school on April 13.

A partnership between the university’s department of environmental conservation, department of geosciences and the Stockbridge School of Agriculture within the College of Natural Sciences, the school brings together 18 undergraduate programs and five graduate programs. Faculty associated with SES conduct research on conservation, sustainable agriculture, earth sciences, environmental geography, renewable energy, sustainable building and design, climate sciences, environmental policy and decision-making, and sustainability.

Professor Curt Griffin, the founding director of SES, says the structure of the school will create an engaging academic environment for students, faculty, staff and the community.

“Our innovative SES community of students and faculty are passionate about making a big difference in the world, and are committed to finding sustainable solutions for meeting the needs of people today without compromising future generations,” he says.

Griffin says SES showcases the campus’ significant strengths in earth, sustainability and environmental sciences, while also strengthening collaboration with partners across campus and beyond the university. The school is also unique in New England, he adds.

“With this new partnership, we have the largest and most diverse set of earth, environmental and sustainability sciences programs across all public and private universities in the region. SES — in concert with our diverse partners—has the capacity to make UMass Amherst the destination of choice for students interested in sustainability and the environment.”

The School of Earth and Sustainability adds to the robust sustainability-related opportunities available at UMass Amherst. The university not only offers 300 courses related to sustainability, it also has a variety of green initiatives on campus including energy reduction, the sourcing of sustainable and local foods, composting, clothing and furniture reuse, and the promotion of alternative transportation. UMass Amherst holds a STARS Gold designation from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and ranked among Top 50 Green Colleges by Princeton Review in 2015.

Featured

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.