Office of Sustainability

The Natural Resources Management degree equips students with the knowledge necessary to conserve, maintain, and manage systems of natural resources. Housed in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, this interdisciplinary degree aims to solve diverse and contemporary issues in resource consumption. Based on the relationship between humans and their environment, the Natural Resources Management Degree uses the sustainability compass as a framework to provide humans with the resources needed for the future. Natural Resources Management requires a minor from one of these related areas of study: Nature-Based Recreation, Watershed Sciences, Urban Environmental Science, Natural Resource Ecology, International Business, or Sustainability.

SCMN 4620, offered through the Harbert College of Business, addresses how a company must strategically incorporate environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability into its supply chain decision-making. Pressure from customers, policymakers and non-governmental organizations compels companies to address the environmental footprint of their operations and the social impact they have on local communities. Specific topics include ethical sourcing, risk management, transparency, innovation, resource scarcity, waste reduction, carbon emissions, and human rights issues. SCMN 4620 exposes students to the UN SDGs in addition to principles of supply chain management.

The Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging Society is a student organization with the goal of educating fellow students and faculty on the Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging Major, as well as discussing professional advancement in relation to the interests of its members. The club focuses on professional outcomes and practical use of utilizing forest biomaterial sustainably. The society provides students a space to explore intersections of biological, ecological, environmental, social, economic, and ethical considerations in sustainable biomaterials and packaging markets in order to provide focus for their future graduate programs, employment, and experiences.

Environmental concerns and evolving technologies are moving companies toward the use of sustainable forest biomaterial for everything from packaging, cosmetics, and automobiles to appliances, pharmaceuticals, and commercial construction. This degree program, offered through the College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, is aimed at providing students with knowledge, expertise, and hands-on experience to prepare them for careers in packaging manufacturing product development and marketing, biomaterials research, supply chain management, and distribution and logistics.

As an Associate Professor in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, Professor Jerrod Windham focuses on sustainable design strategies for the production of goods and services. Prof. Windham studies the elimination of waste and works to increase efficiencies in supply chains, to improve social and environmental sustainability in communities, benefiting businesses and consumers alike. Through his innovations in digital fabrication, Dr. Windham works to evolve systems of entrepreneurship, assistive technology, and environmental sustainability. Prof. Windham also leads the annual Designing Green initiative, consisting of guest lecturers and a sustainable design competition.

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lab, housed in the College of Business, works with industry partners to increase effectiveness of RFID technologies to improve serialized data sharing within the retail industry. The RFID Lab is a research institute focusing on the business case and technical implementation of RFID and other emerging technologies in retail, aviation, supply chain management, and manufacturing. RFID Lab has had success in multiple public-private partnerships, including Amazon.com. RFID technology promotes responsible consumption and production by reducing counterfeit items within the retail industry, which promotes ethical consumption, and improving the accuracy of on-hand inventory at retail stores, which will reduce the instances of excess product and unnecessary shipping.