Tagliatela Colleg e of Engineeri ng

Sustainability Studies Program Prepares Students for Emerging Job Market “ ustainability” refers to the Working with the Association for “It was important to design roles, such as corporate or Sability to recognize inherent Advancement of something that fit with UNH’s municipal sustainability officer, limitations of the planet’s Studies in Higher Education, existing capabilities and talents,” environmental analyst, resources and take actions that Amy Thompson, assistant says Thompson. “Eventually renewable and clean energy allow us all to continue living professor of system , we settled on a set of existing technology manager or within those limits. It is an surveyed other colleges and courses, which several professors consultant, or sustainable increasingly important concept universities nationwide that augmented by creating new product purchasing agent,” adds for engineers designing and offer sustainability programs. courses.” While an emphasis Agamemnon Koutsospyros, building the vast array of “green” “Many institutions have created on science, engineering and professor of mechanical, civil products demanded by a world minors,” she says, “and they technology courses would be and environmental engineering grappling with the increasing cover almost every field you can expected, Thompson says the and coordinator of the new use of polluting energy sources. imagine. Only a handful offered curriculum is balanced and degree program. “There is An entirely new class of jobs, B.S. and B.A. degrees.” embraces business and unprecedented demand for often crossing multiple After comparing those schools’ and the humanities, as well. sustainability professionals disciplines, is being created in curricula, the team set about “Graduates of the program will regionally and nationally and the process, and the Tagliatela defining a program for UNH. be qualified to work in many the The New York Times , Boston College of Engineering is now Globe and Wall Street Journal addressing that growing job all predict sharp increases in market by introducing a B.S. jobs related to ‘green’ industries degree in sustainability studies. and markets.” “It is important that academic institutions ready themselves to address the needs of the new that is slowly shaping up,” says Ali Montazer, interim dean. “We wanted to have a degree program to educate and train a workforce who can jump in and help businesses and organizations seeking help to become more sustainable. Eighteen months ago, we gathered a team of faculty from the four colleges to explore what a degree program for such graduates would look like.”

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