Claremont McKenna College
AC-10: Support for Research

The principal goal of the Roberts Environmental Center (REC) is to involve students in real-world environmental issues and to train them to analyze the issues from as broad a perspective as possible, taking science, economics, and policy into consideration. Based out of Claremont McKenna College, the Center is geared to cultivate environmental leadership within its student body. The mission is to identify, publicize, and encourage practices that achieve social and economic goals through sustainable means. The work centers on analyzing and fostering corporate and organizational sustainability and ranges in scope from local businesses to multinational corporations and governments. We regularly publish research reports as well as work directly with organizations to improve their sustainability. The Center stresses student initiative and leadership, giving student employees ownership of projects and providing them with the tools to see them through. CMC also offers 14 paid internships in sustainability per year for students through Energize Colleges and Climate Corps

​CMC, in collaboration with Harvey Mudd College, has brought the Energize Colleges program to campus. Energize Colleges is a three-year program funded by California utility ratepayers, administered by California utility companies, and implemented by Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) that is designed to create paid student internships and develop course curriculum on college campuses that both academically and professionally introduce students into the energy field. Energize Colleges works with CMC to expand and/or create courses, certificates, and degree programs that integrate energy career skills training in energy efficiency, distributed generation, and demand response into current academic offerings. Energize Colleges is working with CMC faculty to build dynamic, project-based courses that prepare students for a career in the green economy and includes the following services: Faculty training and workshops Curriculum support and resources Faculty grants Career pathway planning Access to best practices and the California Energize Colleges network

The institution encourages interdisciplinary research via institutes and programs in various academic fields. The Roberts Environmental Center (REC) is closely associated with the Environment, Economics, and Politics (EEP) major. The major pursues an interdisciplinary approach equipping students with the skills to manage environmental issues and opportunities for the real world. Recent REC projects included analyzing corporate environmental and sustainability report. Kravis Leadership Institute also pursues numerous interdisciplinary research projects on leadership performance, entrepreneurship, and organizational effectiveness.  The Berger Institute focuses on quantitative research impacting business practices and families; supports high-quality interdisciplinary research by talented CMC professors, which will lead to publishing opportunities; provides challenging and stimulating educational experiences for CMC students Claremont McKenna College participates in the Accelerated Interdisciplinary Legal Education (AILE) program at Columbia University. 

The Honnold Library hosts a specialist librarian in Environmental Analysis. The specialists librarians regularly meet individually with students and faculty to discuss their research. They work with faculty to develop assignments and create online tools that enhance student research. They participate in classes by teaching effective use of information resources and joining in discussions, both in person and online, that focus on research. Many of the librarians listed below have academic backgrounds and experiences that make them especially knowledgeable in specific subject areas.