The Sustainable Energy (SE) graduate program enables students to focus on energy resource management and policy research with a strong foundation in the social and biophysical sciences.

The study of responsible energy resources use and the development of sustainable sources of energy have become critical national and global issues. Energy concerns include the quality and quantity of energy resources, energy security, and the impacts of energy generation, transmission and use on the environment and human health. The SE program prepares graduates to lead in addressing these concerns through the development of professional competency in transdisciplinary research and analytical skills. SE graduates advance into careers in academia, sustainable energy administration and management, scientific research, consulting, environmental advocacy, and a variety of other specialized positions related to sustainable energy resources.

Courses

SE students take courses in energy systems and pathways, resource management, environmental engineering, law and policy, and statistical analysis, among others. Rather than follow a specific track, the curriculum path for each student will follow a mentor-based approach tailored to individual professional and research interests. Students work with their major professor and steering committee to develop their coursework curriculum, which includes opportunities for both classroom-based and lab- and field-based instruction.

• M.P.S. students are required to complete 30 credit hours of graduate coursework.
• M.S. students are required to take 30 graduate credit hours, including 24 hours of coursework credit and six thesis research credits; 12 coursework credit hours must be at the 600-level or above.
• Ph.D. students are required to take 60 graduate credit hours, including 48 hours of coursework credit and 12 hours of thesis research credit.

Participating Faculty

• Tristan R. Brown; trbro100@esf.edu
  sustainable energy law & policy; energy systems analysis; techno-economic analysis; and climate policy
• Robert W. Malmsheimer; rwmalmsh@esf.edu
  How laws and the legal system affect natural resources management, including how carbon accounting policies affect forest and natural resources.
• Nehan Naim; nenaim@esf.edu
  Energy Economics and Finance, Regulations, Industrial Organization, Internet of Things, Disruptive Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Obste Therasme; otherasm@esf.edu
  Life cycle assessment; sustainable energy system analysis; net zero/negative greenhouse gas emissions systems; biomass for biofuels, energy and bioproducts
• Timothy A. Volk; tavolk@esf.edu
  silviculture, forest management for renewable energy, biomass and bioenergy, energy, agroforestry, phytoremediation, management and sustainability of short rotation woody crops, life cycle analysis, ecophysiology, international forestry

Atif Ali

Mark Bremer

Jenny Frank

Michael Goodman

Jessica Howe

Golandam Mortaz Hedjiri

Leila Nayar

Patrick Wickersham