Sustainability initiatives are creeping up in corporate, political, and entrepreneurial agendas everywhere. High-level research and development continue to drift toward interdisciplinary works, where specific problems are identified and tangible goals are achieved, or at least better understood. As always, RPI is ever increasing the competitiveness of its graduates by broadening the types of programs and courses available.
Next semester, classes are available in several departments that can help students gain useful information on the topic of sustainability. Many of them list the terms “ecology,” “sustainability,” and “environment” in their titles, but we’ll help by reviewing a few right here.
One course that may interest many engineers and other design disciplines is Sustainability and Design, conducted by professors Daniel Walczyk and Michael Jensen through the Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Nuclear Engineering Department. Veteran students describe the class as an essential tool that engineers should have if they want to expand upon typical design processes. Research in holistic “life-cycle analysis” helps students rethink how products and systems are executed, starting from the raw materials selection, life usage design, and end-of-life recycling and waste streams.
Students interested in architecture-related studies are encouraged to investigate Environmental and Ecological Systems, offered through the School of Architecture. Exploring the various aspects of human comfort and performing ability in spaces, students will be equipped with techniques and instruments to conduct vital sign analysis. Overarching topics include passive heating, cooling, and daylighting systems that can be implemented in any given area or design.
Studies for those students inclined toward business, management, or the general sociology behind evolving food and agriculture practices may be interested in Professor Abby Kinchy’s Food, Farms, and Famine course. The class explores the future of food, the dynamics involved in supporting a growing population, and questions “sustainable agriculture” as a viable alternative to environmentally destructive farming practices using a “food systems” approach.
With a large increase in problem-based solution-seeking, taking a course apart from the norm is something many students can take advantage of. From engineering and social sciences to architecture and management, sustainability classes (and possibly a minor) are here at RPI. The Student Sustainability Task Force greatly encourages you to take a look around and ask your advisors for direction on how this can help broaden your options.
The evolving movements in the environment, society, and sciences need the help of well-rounded individuals knowledgeable in a number of fields with the ability to communicate with others.
