Academics

TC Chan Center -- studies of the thermal performance of the double glazing system proposed for the Annenberg Public Policy Center

Sustainability and environmental issues are central to Penn’s curriculum and student life, across a wide range of schools and programs. In the past year, there have been a number of academic initiatives that have focused on Penn's relationship to its environment. Here are leading examples:

• Certificate in Ecological Architecture - Penn is proud to offer a new cross-departmental certificate in the School of Design as part of the graduate degree coursework in Architecture or related disciplines.
• Ecology, Technology, and Design and Architecture and Ecology: Dimensions of Sustainability are new courses in Penn’s Design School, whose faculty includes William Braham, a global expert on sustainable architecture, and the PennPraxis project, which works directly with the City of Philadelphia on its new, state-of-the-art, pedestrian-friendly waterfront area.
• Masters of Environmental Studies, offered by the School of Arts and Sciences in addition to its Department of Earth and Environmental Science, draws together courses across the University in the natural, social, and biomedical sciences, as well as in humanities, engineering, law, and business.
• PennEWB is the University of Pennsylvania chapter of Engineers Without Borders. On campus, around Philadelphia, and around the world, PennEWB seeks to address the challenges of international development through educational initiatives and the implementation of hands-on, sustainable engineering projects.
• TerraPass, a world-leading system for funding renewable energy projects, was developed by Prof. Karl Ulrich with one of his 2004 Wharton MBA classes.
• The Biosphere at Kings Court/English House is an active student experience designed to enhance the interaction of College House residents with their environments, especially in relation to food and nature.
• The Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, in the School of Medicine, acts to create change in environmental and public health policies, often working directly with local communities to improve environmental health, medicine, and justice, especially around issues of environmental exposure.
• The Environmental Management Program, in the Wharton School, founded in 1998, coordinates the MBA in Environmental and Risk Management, the undergraduate concentration in Environmental Policy and Management, and the undergraduate minor in Organizations and Environmental Management.
• The Insitute for Global and Environmental Leadership is a new global initiative on business and the environment that brings together business leaders with professors at Wharton and other Schools at Penn to discuss and research selected topics concerning business and the natural environment.
• The Initiative for Environmental Studies houses programs and faculty in environmental research from a wide range of perspectives, focusing on: Environmental Policy; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Toxicology; and Earth, Ecology, and Ecosystems.
• The International Environmental Management Initiative, funded by a grant from the Provost’s Global Initiatives Fund, will bring together faculty across the University to create interdisciplinary business and public policy solutions for environmental issues.
• The Penn Energy Research Group sponsors research around a variety of energy issues.
• The Program on Law, the Environment, and the Economy at Penn Law School brings scholars, regulators, and policymakers to campus to engage students and faculty on such topics as global warming and natural hazards.
• The TC Chan Center, in collaboration with Tsinghua University, brings together experts from around the world to develop strategies for sustainable environments and high-performance, energy-efficient buildings.
• Toward Environmental Sustainability on Penn’s Campus, an Ideas in Action course in Fall 2007 funded by the Provost’s Office, directly involved Penn students in creating reports to the administration on the best methods of advancing the University’s sustainability goals.