The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Sustainability programs on rise

Multidisciplinary minor at UD focuses on energy and environment.

Victoria Theatre announces 2012-13 lineup
2/13/12
Court rules Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival violated religious free speech
2/13/12
Overnight snow may cause slippery morning commute
2/13/12
Housing, credit crisis hurt home remodeling
2/13/12
WPAFB escapes cuts in latest budget plan
2/13/12
> More headlines

By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer 12:01 AM Thursday, February 18, 2010

DAYTON — Sustainability issues are important to Sarah Peterson, a University of Dayton junior who plans a career in environmental justice.

Peterson is among the first students to enroll in a new multi-disciplinary minor at UD that focuses on sustainability, energy and the environment.

“Being a sociology major, I’ve never been a science person ... so it’s a great way for me to learn about environmental issues and possible solutions to those issues,” said Peterson of Pittsburgh.

Sustainability refers to meeting present energy and natural resource needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

To help develop sustainability curriculums at Dayton-area colleges and universities, the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education will announce a $10,000 professional development scholarship Thursday, Feb. 18, to expand a successful Ohio University environmental literacy program to area schools.

“It’s part of our strategic goals to help further educate colleges and universities in the region in the areas of sustainability,” said Sean Creighton, SOCHE’s executive director.

Creighton will announce the scholarship at “Greening of the Curriculum: Classroom, Co-op and Career,” a sustainability conference at Sinclair Community College.

Creighton said many colleges have focused on “green” campuses but not curriculums.

“There are a lot of programs and research around facilities and business operations, but the curriculum piece still needs further development,” he said.

UD launched its sustainability, energy and environment (SEE) minor this semester because of faculty interest, said Bob Brecha, a UD physics professors and coordinator of the university’s SEE initiative.

“We are starting to recognize that energy and environmental issues are going to be increasingly important, and that students are going to have to deal with them no matter what their major,” Brecha said.

Dayton area schools are making “rapid progress” in responding to the demand for sustainability studies, Creighton said.

“I think you’ll continue to see new program development in these areas, as well as continued changes in the business practices of the schools,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDaily News.com.

Sustainability initiatives

June 2010: “West-East Approaches to Sustainability,” a UD study abroad program, will examine sustainability problems and solutions in Austria, Moldova and Romania.

January 2010: UD launched a new Sustainability Energy and Environment minor to show students of all majors how sustainability issues can impact their chosen career paths.

July 2009: The Ohio Board of Regents launched Ohio Green Pathways, a collaboration of the University System of Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council designed to link education and training with green industry jobs in Ohio.

November 2008: Ohio’s first master’s degree program in renewable energy was launched as a collaboration of Wright State University, UD, Central State University and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

- Fall 2006: Sinclair Community College’s Center for Energy Education was created to be the center of Sinclair’s energy-related activities and initiatives, including academic programs and workforce development.

Share this article