MSC 03 2020
Castetter (Biology), 163B
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Phone: 505-277-3325
Fax: 505-277-0304
sust@unm.edu
The Sustainability Studies Program (SSP) utilizes experiential learning, research, and service activities to implement practical solutions for a sustainable future on the UNM campus, in the state of New Mexico, and for the Earth as a whole. Sustainability Studies integrates knowledge and methodologies from the Sciences, Humanities, and Arts to provide a roadmap for students that can be applied to the design, selection, and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, technologies, and strategies. Sustainability Studies provides a dynamic feedback loop of information and practice.
Sustainability, as defined by the 1983 Brundtland Commission, is a way of life that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." It is the capacity to endure. Sustainability encompasses the three pillars of environmental health, economic vitality and social equity.
Sustainability is a nationally and internationally recognized interdisciplinary field of vital importance. Sustainability seeks creative solutions that promote environmental health and restoration, social equity, and economic vitality. The goal is to meet the needs of the present (such as health, energy, food, shelter, and transportation) while ensuring the satisfaction of future generations. In light of unprecedented environmental degradation, social instability, and economic uncertainties in today’s world, the sustainability minor cultivates the complex knowledge and skills needed to secure a healthy future for all. Sustainability is linked to rapidly growing career opportunities in business, education, government, and the non-profit sector. The Sustainability Studies minor provides students from all disciplines the opportunity to acquire pertinent knowledge and skills that complement their major, thereby preparing them for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Check out Dr. Bruce Milne's recent presentation - The Odyssey of Creating a Sustainable Campus at UNM: Assets, Barriers, and Strategies - from the 2012 American College and University Presidents' Climate Committment (ACUPCC) Southwest Regional Collaborative Symposium. Sustainability is a core value of UNM, and it shows!
Amy Coplen graduated from UNM in 2007 with a double major in American Studies and Chemistry and a minor in Sustainability Studies. She is currently a Masters candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she is studying community gardens. Amy is also the Public School Coordinator at the Yale Sustainable Food Project. Check out her blog!
Nate Campbell graduated from UNM in 2009 with a Bachelor of University Studies. In 2010, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in Mexico on the agricultural development of jatropha, an oily seed used in the production of biodiesel. Nate is currently a Masters candidate at UNM in Community and Regional Planning, and is studying Natural Resources and Environmental Planning. He also works at Affordable Solar in Albuquerque.
Mariel Tribby graduated from UNM in 2007 with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Sustainability Studies. She is currently a Professional Gardener at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Want to plug into the sun?