University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
Name	School for Environment and Sustainability
Established	1927
Parent	University of Michigan
Type	Public
City	Ann Arbor
State	Michigan
Country	United States

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability

The School for Environment and Sustainability is a professional graduate school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, affiliated with the University of Michigan, and engaged in interdisciplinary work on environment and sustainability. It draws on traditions linked to the Rackham Graduate School, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Ross School of Business, and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy while participating in collaborations with the Dana Building at the Museum of Natural History and the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. The School engages faculty and students who have overlaps with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Nature Conservancy.

History

The School emerged from early 20th-century conservation efforts associated with figures tied to the Civilian Conservation Corps, the National Park Service, the Wilderness Society, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and it evolved through interactions with the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, the World Wildlife Fund, and the United Nations Environment Programme. In its development the School intersected with careers connected to the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and adapted approaches influenced by the Club of Rome, the Brundtland Commission, and the Stockholm Conference. Its faculty and programs have been shaped by scholarly networks linked to Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and the University of California system, reflecting exchanges with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and the Arctic Council.

Academic programs

The School offers graduate degrees including the Master of Science, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Public Affairs joint options with the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, dual degrees in collaboration with the Ross School of Business and the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and doctoral programs coordinated with Rackham Graduate School, while engaging visiting scholars from the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society, the Humboldt Foundation, and the Fulbright Program. Course offerings span topics that draw expertise from faculty affiliated with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and prepare students for careers at institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Research and centers

Research activities are organized through centers and labs that collaborate with the Great Lakes Research Advisory Board, the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, the Michigan Sea Grant, the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research, and the National Science Foundation. The School hosts thematic initiatives connected to climate science networks like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, biodiversity programs linked to the Convention on Biological Diversity, urban resilience efforts in concert with C40 Cities, and restoration projects partnering with The Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, and Ducks Unlimited. Research outputs have been cited alongside work from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature, Science, and the Journal of Climate, and are leveraged in policy forums convened by the World Resources Institute, the Environmental Law Institute, and the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Campus and facilities

The School is based in Ann Arbor near campus resources including the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, the Nichols Arboretum, the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, and the Kresge Art Museum, and it shares facilities and collaborations with the Taubman Health Sciences Complex, the Ford School building, and the Duderstadt Center. Lab space and field equipment are coordinated with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, the Huron River Watershed Council, the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, and regional partners such as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Students undertake fieldwork at sites associated with Isle Royale National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Saginaw Bay, and the St. Lawrence Seaway as part of partnerships with the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and state parks.

Admissions and student life

Admissions processes reference standards common to Rackham Graduate School and attract applicants with backgrounds from institutions such as Cornell University, Michigan State University, Purdue University, the University of Illinois, and Ohio State University, as well as international programs affiliated with the Erasmus Mundus program, the Australian National University, and the University of British Columbia. Student life integrates student organizations and professional networks connected to the Graduate Employees’ Organization, the Student Environmental Action Coalition, Engineers Without Borders, the Sierra Student Coalition, and the American Society of Landscape Architects, and students often intern with entities like the Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund, and local nonprofits such as the Ann Arbor Greenbelt Program.

Notable faculty and alumni

Faculty and alumni include leaders who have held positions with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and recipients of awards such as the MacArthur Fellowship, the Blue Planet Prize, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and the Heinz Awards. Graduates have gone on to roles in academia at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and the University of California, as well as in government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and in NGOs such as Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Resources Institute.

Category:University of Michigan