San Jose State University
ER-15: Sustainability Research Identification

“Sustainability research focuses on one or more of the following aspects of sustainability: ecological integrity, economic prosperity, and social and intergenerational equity. It addresses a sustainability challenge (such as climate change or poverty) and furthers our understanding of the interconnectedness of societal, economic, and environmental issues. Sustainability research promotes culturally appropriate solutions that concurrently support economic prosperity, social well-being, and ecological vitality.”

Since information on research foci is not readily available campus-wide, the inventory was conducted using multiple data collection methods. First, an original list created by Halaulani in 2008 of faculty involved in sustainability research was fully reviewed using faculty information available on department and personal websites. Second, this list was then circulated to Sustainability Faculty-in-Residence for comments, additions, or deletions. Third, lists of faculty affiliated with research centers, including Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and the Mineta Transportation Institute, at SJSU were reviewed for potential faculty to include. Fourth, the SJSU Experts database was reviewed using multiple keywords related to sustainability for potential inclusion of additional faculty. Finally, annual reports from the SJSU Research Foundation from the past three years were reviewed for projects and the faculty involved in them. None of these steps alone were sufficient to find all faculty to be included in the list, and so subsequent STARS Assessment should use these same methods unless the process becomes more streamlined.