Paul Smith's has gotten some of its best sustainability ideas from students. Dozens of them have researched sustainability issues for their Capstone Projects, which every graduating senior must complete. Here are some from the recent past:

• "Development of a community-supported farm in Columbia County," Lori Northrop
• "Where’s the organic beef?" Daniel Simmons
• "A feasibility study for a composting program at Paul Smith's College," Dylan Pierpont
• " A fragile stream bank: The erosion of traditional cultures in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, as a result of tourism development," Richard Gage III
• "Defining community and its relationship to sense of place in the Adirondack Park: a preliminary study," Danielle Davenport
• "Examining growth rates of Adirondack white pine (Pinus strobus) through examination and correlations with past weather variations: implications for global climate change on tree growth," Davide Salazar
• "Feasibility study of solar power use at Paul Smith's College," Andrew Lewis
• "Sustainable tourism and certification in the Adirondack Park: Perceptions of tourism-related business owners," Ryan Doyle
• "Using the northeastern alpine zone as a bio-monitor of climate change," Ryan Harvey
• "A Small Farmer’s Guide to Wild Farming in the North East," Cameron Lewis