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

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • restroom sinks

    CSU Dominguez Hills Standardizes Plumbing to Improve Restroom Maintenance and Efficiency

    At California State University, Dominguez Hills, facilities leaders have taken steps to standardize restroom fixtures as part of a broader effort to improve maintenance efficiency and control long-term costs.

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

Digital Edition