Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Deborah Steinberg
Submission Date Aug. 1, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

Carnegie Mellon University
ER-15: Sustainability Research Identification

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter David Dzombak
Hamerschlag University Professor and Department Head
CEE: Civil & Environmental Engineering
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution developed a definition of sustainability research?:
Yes

A copy of the institution's definition of sustainability research:

Going beyond the slogan of sustainability requires interdisciplinary analysis, problem solving, and invention. At Carnegie Mellon, we are developing a path to an environmentally sustainable society, building on our interdisciplinary culture and our internationally recognized strengths in environmental technology, science, and policy.

Environmental research at Carnegie Mellon focuses on two principal themes within the general theme of transitioning to an environmentally sustainable society: (1) urban infrastructure and sustainable cities, and (2) energy transition strategies and the environment. Our research is problem-driven, interdisciplinary, and conducted collaboratively with government, corporate, and foundation partners.


Has the institution identified its sustainability research activities and initiatives?:
Yes

A brief description of the methodology the institution followed to complete the inventory:

Carnegie Mellon University conducted university-wide strategic planning in 1998 and 2008, and environment was a strategic theme in both cases. Following the 1998 strategic planning, a number of new initiatives in support of environmental research were developed, including expansion of the Green Practices Program in part for use of the campus as an experimental test site to support environmental sustainability research, and establishment of the endowed, university-wide Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research.

Carnegie Mellon has 19 research centers with activities pertaining to environmental sustainability. The Steinbrenner Institute promotes the activities of these research centers and facilitates information sharing among them. A complete list of the environmental research centers at Carnegie Mellon is maintained at the Steinbrenner Institute web site, with links to each center. Individual research projects are highlighted on the Steinbrenner Institute web site and described in the Steinbrenner Institute newsletter. Inventories of active projects in each research center are available at the web sites of the individual research centers.


Does the institution make its sustainability research inventory publicly available online?:
Yes

The website URL where the sustainability research inventory is posted (required if claiming Part 3 of the credit):
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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