Sustainability: Educational Activities

Graduate Programs with a Sustainability Emphasis

Graduate Certificate in Sustainability

This certificate program is designed to promote a focus in sustainability among students pursuing primary graduate degrees in a variety of fields. It requires coursework that provides breadth in three areas: (i) policy, societal and economic systems; (ii) environmental systems; and (iii) industrial systems.

Sustainable Futures IGERT

This program is designed to educate doctoral students who can integrate the disciplines of green engineering and social sciences, producing professionals who can serve as catalysts for future environmental, industrial and societal sustainability.

Wood-to-Wheels Graduate Enterprise

This graduate enterprise program has as its goal an increase in the overall efficiency of converting solar energy captured in forest and other biomass resources into products for transportation using ethanol, biodiesel, and green diesel as high energy-density carriers. The W2W Enterprise is identifying and addressing the technical and societal barriers to sustainably producing forest resources, processing biomass to create ethanol, biodiesel and other co-products, and then utilizing the bio-fuels and co-products in vehicle and engine applications.

Master's International Peace Corps M.S. Program

The Master's International program is a unique partnership between Michigan Tech and the Peace Corps which affords students the opportunity to incorporate Peace Corps service into a graduate program. Michigan Tech offers four unique programs that prepare students for Peace Corps service, along with a Master of Science degree.

These programs involve one year of intensive coursework at Michign Tech, three months of Peace Corps training, and two years of field work with Peace Corps.

PC-MI program in Forestry
PC-MI program in Mitigation of Natural Geological Hazards
PC-MI program in Civil & Environmental Engineering
PC-MI program in Science Education

Applied Ecology, Forest Ecology and Management, Forest Science and Forestry Graduate Programs

Students in these M.S. and doctoral programs include many with an emphasis on sustainability and study topics such as sustainable resource management and forest ecosystem responses and feedbacks to climate change.

Atmospheric Sciences doctoral program

This non-departmental, multidisciplinary doctoral program is designed to educate students who understand the fundamental physical, chemical and biological processes affecting the atmosphere and are prepared to contribute to the solution of key atmospheric sciences and sustainability questions.

Environmental Engineering Graduate Program

Students in this M.S. and doctoral program study a variety of topics involving the assessment and minimization of negative impacts of human activities on the environment.

Environmental Policy M.S. program

This program develops students with skills in policy analysis, the ability to collaborate with a wide variety of groups, and an understanding of socioeconomic and environmental systems.

Undergraduate Programs with a Sustainability Emphasis

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Sustainability

This REU program is integrated with the Sustainable Futures Institute and supports undergraduate research and education in environmental systems, industrial systems, societal systems, and integrative initiatives joining these three areas.

Undergraduate Certificate in International Sustainable Development Engineering

This program allows undergraduate engineering students to augment their technical education with the knowledge, skills, and experiences important to working on solutions in developing communities, and is designed to be woven throughout any engineering baccalaureate degree program.

International Senior Design

part of the International Sustainable Engineering Initiative

This Senior Design project offers students the opportunity to design and build environmental and construction projects that benefit people in the developing world.

Alternative Fuels Group Enterprise Program

This program includes multi-year design-team projects centered around the development of a sustainable hydrogen or gasoline/ethanol fuel/electric hybrid vehicle.

Aqua Terra Tech Enterprise Program

This program encompasses two multi-year design-team project: one aimed at finding and developing a clean source of drinking water for a city in Nicaragua, and one designed to develop interest in the environmental sciences in high school students.

D80 Center: Engineering Development for Humanity

The programs within the Michigan Tech D80 Center provide many education, research, and service opportunities for students interested in gaining valuable professional experience while making a difference in the lives of others today.

Applied Ecology and Environmental Science

Students in this program study an integrated treatment of the ecological and social aspects of natural resource conservation and management.

Environmental Engineering

This program is designed to teach students how to identify and design solutions for environmental problems.

Forestry

Students in this program study the sustainable management of forest resources.

Wildlife Ecology and Management

This program teaches students the practical ecology of wild animals and their habitats.

Textbooks authored on the topic of sustainability

Green Engineering : Environmentally Conscious Design of Chemical Processes, D. Allen and D. Shonnard (Prentice-Hall, 2001). A chemical engineer's guide to managing and minimizing environmental impact.

Environmental Engineering: Fundamentals, Sustainability, Design, Mihelcic et al. (John Wiley and Sons, 2008). A new text integrating an introduction to the fundamentals of environmental engineering with an emphasis on sustainable engineering practices.

Water Supply, Sanitation Systems, and Indoor Air Quality: Field Guide in Engineering for Development Workers (ASCE Press, 2008).

Courses related to Sustainability

Courses on the topic of sustainability

CE5993. Field Engineering in the Developing World. Study of applying appropriate and sustainable engineering solutions and technology in the developing world. Concepts of sustainable development are covered. Topics are drawn from several areas of engineering, including water supply/treatment, wastewater treatment, materials, solid waste, construction, and watersheds.

ENG 5510. Sustainable Futures I. Covers introductory and intermediate concepts of Sustainable Development. Explores methods/tools for assessing sustainability from economic, environmental, and societal perspectives for current and emerging industrial technologies. Life cycle assessment is the major tool for evaluating sustainability. Explores applications of LCA in the public policy arena and also in the private sector. Industrial applications of sustainable development are further explored through case studies and guest lectures.

ENG 5520. Sustainable Futures II. Covers sustainability in developed and developing countries. Topics include policy analysis, regulatory impact & cost benefit analyses, trade & markets, laws & regulations, international disasters, GIS applications, green manufacturing, and evolution of environmental policy in U.S. and other countries.

SS4510. Sustainable Futures I. Covers introductory and intermediate concepts of Sustainable Development. Explores methods/tools for assessing sustainability (economic, environmental, societal impacts) of current and emerging industrial technologies. Explores relationships between government policies and markets for introducing sustainable technologies into national economies and corporations.

CE3xxx. Green Engineering Design for Sustainability. This course, new in fall 2008, will serve as an introduction to green engineering design and sustainability. The class will begin with the introduction of Evolution of Engineering Design, challenges to sustainability in both the developed and developing world and the role of engineering design in achieving global sustainability. The current approach to engineering design in terms of process design, material selection and energy consumption will be discussed in the context of civil infrastructure systems. The principles of green engineering will be introduced and the topics on the application of these principles that will be addressed include pollution prevention and source reduction, material and energy flows and efficiencies, system analysis, life cycle assessment/costing/management, and innovative designs (e.g., appropriate technologies, biomimicry).

Colloquia on the topic of sustainability.

ENG 3530. Undergraduate Colloquium in Sustainability. Readings and speakers are used to teach concepts of sustainable development and global sustainability. Specific topics are derived from the industrialized and developing world.

ENG 5530. Graduate Colloquium in Sustainability. Introduces students to general and specific issues related to sustainability. Topics include review and discussion of historical readings that define the movement towards sustainability, international issues related to sustainable development, corporate leadership, consumption, and societal issues.

Graduate courses related to sustainability.

ATM 5515 Atmospheric Chemistry. Study of the photochemical processes governing the composition of the troposphere and stratosphere, with application to air pollution and climate change. Covers radical chain reaction cycles, heterogeneous chemistry, atmospheric radiative transfer and measurement techniques for atmospheric gases.

CE 5508. Biogeochemical Processes. To define what constitutes sustainable human activities, one must understand linkages among physical, chemical, and biological structures and processes that comprise our biosphere. Examine interactions between physical, chemical, and biological processes on earth; model these interactions; and identify areas where knowledge is insufficient for modeling.

CE 5508. Transport and Transformation of Organic Pollutants. Assessment of factors controlling environmental fate, distribution, and transformation of organic pollutants. Thermodynamics, equilibrium, and kinetic relationships are used to quantify organic pollutant partitioning and transformations in air, water, and sediments. Use of mass balance equations to quantify pollutant transport.

CE 5511 Air Quality and the Built Environment. Investigates the complex interaction between the engineered environments in developed and developing nations and air quality. Major topics include: air pollutant health impacts and epidemiology, indoor air quality, urban design and air quality, infrastructure and air quality, and atmospheric sustainability.

CE 5666 - Water Resources Planning and Management. Economic and environmental aspects of water use. Topics include flood damage reduction, water demand and hydrologic forecasting, water supply planning, and water resource systems operation.

EE 5260 - Wind Power. Wind turbines are the fastest growing segment of the generator mix being added to power systems today. There is a growing need to understand the many issues caused by these additions. This course covers the theoretical background, regulations, system integration experience, and computer modeling of wind energy.

FW 5100 - Advanced Terrestrial Ecology. Structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Roles of ecotypic variation, animals, natural disturbance, biological diversity, management, and global change on plant community dynamics and ecosystem processes.

FW 5115 - Restoration Ecology. Study the tools, challenges, and philosophical underpinnings associated with ecological restoration. Restoration of forest, grassland, and wetland communities (plant and animal) will be discussed.

FW 5130 - Forest Vegetation Dynamics. Investigation of how trees grow and interact in a variety of stand structures from a functional standpoint at both the tree- and stand-level. These principles will be used to test the use of silvicultural management tools for meeting a variety of objectives. Linkages will be made between stand development patterns and management options, with an emphasis on disturbance ecology.

FW 5150 - Institutions and Natural Resource Management. Examines how institutions manage natural resources to meet their legal and social requirements and the demands of constituencies. Emphasis is on case study application.

FW 5160 - Operations Research in Natural Resource Management. Forestry applications of operations research methods. Includes linear, mixed integer, separable, and dynamic programming and their application to renewable resource management and wood products manufacturing situations. Emphasizes problem formulation and case studies.

FW 5221 - Advanced Wetland Science. Advanced study in wetland ecology concentrating on theoretical and technological advances. Readings will pertain to major topics in wetland ecology: hydrology, soils, vegetation, biogeochemistry, and ecological characteristics of different wetland types.

FW 5376 - Advanced Forest and Environmental Resource Management. Application of forest and environmental management practices and topical investigations by teams of students with the assistance of faculty, staff and representatives of state, federal and corporate land management groups as well as non-governmental organizations.

FW 5400. Advanced Conservation Biology. This course examines the biology that underlies our attempts to conserve genetic, species, and community diversity. Discussion will include current issues from the primary literature and applications to student research projects.

FW 5641. Global Change Institute for Teachers. This course will provide teachers with the skills necessary to engage middle/high school students in real-world study of global climate change and its effects on ecosystems. National Content Standards for mathematics and life, earth and physical sciences will be addressed.

MEEM 5653. Life-cycle Engineering. Familiarizes students with the principles and techniques of life-cycle engineering. These techniques include design reviews, re-engineering, cost/benefit analysis, value engineering and design for "X." Upon completion, students should be adept at weighing the costs and benefits of product design decisions as they apply to a product from concept to retirement.

MEEM 5685. Environmentally Responsible Design and Manufacturing. Examines impact of engineering and, in particular, design/manufacturing decisions on the environment. Topics include sustainability; energy/material flows; risk assessment, life cycles, manufacturing process waste streams, product design issues, including disassembly/post-use product handling; techniques for pollution prevention.

SS 5100. Global Environmental Systems. Survey of literature that connects global biological and physical processes with human adaptations, interventions and social systems. Study of range of human systems adapted to living in and with the environment. Topics include energy balance and transfer in the earth environment, ecosystems and energy flow, human intervention into geomorphological processes.

SS 5200. Environmental Decision Making. Group practicum in environmental decision making. Focuses on facilitating the decision making process associated with a community-based environmental concern or policy choice. Past projects include efforts to facilitate public participation in developing a forest management plan and participating in a review of the Torch Lake Area of Concern.

SS 5300. Environmental Policy and Politics. An overview of environmental policymaking and politics in the U.S. Emphasizes policies regarding air and water pollution, toxics and hazardous waste. Discussion of rulemaking, enforcement, and administration of laws by EPA. Investigation of environmental politics on national and community levels, with focus on social movements and citizen participation.

SS 5350. Environmental Policy Analysis. The role of economic analysis in environmental policy, including a detailed review of the major tools that are used at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. Special emphasis on benefit-cost analysis and comparative risk analysis.

SS 5400. Sociology of the Environment. Provides students with an introduction to basic sociological concepts as they apply human relationships to the environment. Topics include social values, organizations, norms, ideologies, and political systems. Themes will include the relationship of expertise to lay knowledge, public participation, and urban-rural relationships.

Undergraduate courses related to sustainability.

CE 4504 Air Quality Engineering and Science. Overview of air quality regulation in the U.S. and world, including basic concepts of atmospheric chemistry and transport; fugitive, point, and area emissions; principles and tradeoffs of operation and design of air pollution control systems; and application of air quality models.

CE 4506. Application of Environmental Regulations and Pollution Prevention to Engineering Practice. Study of the federal and state regulations and policy that govern management of solid and hazardous waste and how these regulations are incorporated into engineering practice. Other topics include sustainability and eco-business innovation, brownfield redevelopment, risk assessment, and engineering ethics.

CE4990. Green Building Design. Day 1 of this 3-credit course is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Technical Review Workshop for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC) Workshop. Days 2 through 5 include hands on practice in utilizing the LEED-NC system for evaluating building performance; an exploration of construction techniques utilized with sustainable buildings; discussions and practice on topics covered in the LEED-NC Accredited Professional Exam; and evaluation and tours of local sustainable buildings.

EE 3120 - Electric Energy Systems. An overview of the generation and utilization of electrical energy. Covers three-phase circuits, transformers, wind power, photovoltaics, fuel cells, batteries, electromechanical energy conversion, and an overview of electric power systems, including economic issues.

FW 3010 - Practice of Silviculture. Methods of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis.

FW 3020 - Forest and Landscape Ecology. Gain a basic understanding of how forest ecosystems function across various temporal and spatial scales. Emphasizes real-world problems and the skills necessary to resolve land-use conflicts and to manage terrestrial ecosystems.

FW 3110 - Natural Resource Policy. Covers concepts related to social systems and natural resources. Offers a survey of natural resource policies and organizations. State and federal levels of policymaking will be linked to the human values, attitudes, and beliefs that set the context for natural resource policy processes.

FW 3600 - Wildlife Habitat. Understand the ecological basis for management of forest wildlife and how forest management influences wildlife populations. Laboratory introduces techniques in wildlife research and management, especially methods of habitat analysis.

FW 4150 - Forest Resource Management Methods of organizing forest properties for sustainability and multiple-use management using operations research methods, particularly linear programming, for selecting preferred options. Emphasizes developing an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the models used. Discusses single- and multiple-use land management formulations.

FW 4810 - Integrated Resource Assessment Provides a capstone experience by integrating techniques from many of the applied ecology and forestry core courses. Covers multi-resource inventory of forested landscapes; description and evaluation of the potential for providing various natural resource outputs; development of GIS information and applications, maps, and other descriptors useful in the analysis of diverse management alternatives.

SS 3300. Environmental Problems. An examination of local, regional, and global contemporary environmental problems. Critical consideration of underlying social, historical, and economic causes. Case studies drawn from topics such as global warming, ozone depletion, groundwater pollution, solid waste disposal, deforestation, and resource depletion. Studies proposed solutions and their impacts.

SS 3410. World Resources and Development. Examination of the human geography and resources of various world regions. Emphasizes factors affecting prospects for development, including population dynamics, natural resource endowment, social and cultural systems, and spatial structure of society. Case studies of individual countries supplement general concepts and theories.

SS 3620. International Environmental Technology Policy. Explores the relationship between markets and government policies in moving national economies and corporations toward "greener" technology choices. Topics may include industrial ecology, regulation, innovation, and pollution prevention. Course employs examples from U.S., Canada, EU, and Japan. When possible, students work on a real-life project for a client.

SS 3760. Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Uses sociological concepts to cover facets of human relationships to natural resources, including human values, beliefs, and attitudes regarding the environment; rural resource-dependent communities; natural resource professions and expert knowledge; and the history of American perspectives on the environment.

SS 3800. Energy Technology and Policy. The many roles of energy in our energy-dependent world, focusing on fuel and technology choices, trends, and policies. Emphasizes current energy dilemmas and environmental challenges, such as the risk of global climate change. Field trips to local solar homes and energy companies.

SS 3930. Environmental Issues. Covers environmental issues such as air pollution, water pollution, endangered species, public land management, and toxics. Each course provides an in-depth exposure to the year's course topic, covering its sociopolitical and environmental components.

SS 4210. Global change in culture and society since 1400. Explores the increasing interconnectedness of world cultures since 1400. The course examines the social, economic, and political changes that accompanied the rise of world capitalism from multiple theoretical perspectives. Themes include colonialism, agency, resistance, world-systems theory, and globalization.