New sustainability degree puts students where the jobs are - 2010-10-19

Paul Smith’s College launches natural resources sustainability program this fall

PAUL SMITHS – More employers than ever are looking for candidates who can help their organizations go green – and Paul Smith’s College has launched a new program to train those people.

The major in natural resources sustainability will produce graduates with the tools needed to compete for a growing number of jobs that call for skills spanning the sciences, business and policy.

“Whether it’s green construction, sustainable agriculture or energy development, we’ll be providing students with hands-on experiences as they develop the skills they’ll need to lead this growing conversation on sustainability,” said Dr. David Patrick, a Paul Smith’s College professor who is coordinator of the new program. “Our location in the Adirondacks is an ideal place for students to work on these challenges.”

The program joins a host of sustainability measures taken by Paul Smith’s College in recent years: officials have pledged to eventually eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, and all new construction is to be built to LEED standards. And this Saturday, the college will take the wraps off a bottle-and-can redemption machine, so students can collect deposits on their recyclables without leaving campus.

Patrick said that the program’s curriculum crosses over several disciplines and prepares students for jobs in a wide range of fields, such as conservation and sustainable development, environmental planning and management, green business practices, and sustainable energy and energy efficiency.

As many as 60 students are expected to enroll in the program within a few years.

The program was developed in response to the growing number of green-sector jobs. A 2009 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, for example, found that jobs in the clean energy economy in the United States grew 2 ½ times faster than all other jobs between 1998 and 2007; other studies project similarly robust growth in the field as clean energy sources take hold.

ABOUT PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. Our programs, in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences, draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere.


CONTACT: Kenneth Aaron, Director of Communications
(518) 327-6297 / kaaron@paulsmiths.edu