Sustainability

How do we work together to solve environmental challenges? 

Environmental sustainability includes efforts to conserve natural resources and support healthy ecosystems. This LLC explores important local and regional environmental and ecological topics – including climate change, global energy issues and water in the West – to identify ways to work together for a more regenerative future.  

Students who participate in the Sustainability LLC will:

  • Live with up to 22 similarly interested students in Johnson-McFarlane (J-Mac) or Dimond Family Residential Village (DFRV). 

  • Learn together by enrolling one 2-credit seminar for the Fall, Winter, and Springs quarters.

  • Build community together with staff and faculty mentors through programming in and out of the classroom, including retreats, dinners, speakers, and active learning excursions.

  • Learn from and work with Dr. Don Sullivan the Faculty Mentor for this LLC.

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Sustainability LLC Breakdown

Academic Connections:

  • Use of Mt. Evans Field Station
  • Sustainability Minor (Geography partnership)

DU Campus Partnerships:

  • USG Sustainability Committee 
  • Sustainability Council 
  • Center for Sustainability Internships 
  • DU Backpacking Club 
  • Divest DU Club 
  • DU Pollination Association 
  • Pio Clean Club 
  • Mycology Club 

Examples of Programming:

  • Field trip to the Alliance Center in Denver
  • Eco-anxiety workshop from the Center for Sustainability at DU 
  • Light Rail field trips 
  • Participation in Earth Week @ DU 
  • Participation in City Nature week 
  • South Platte Renew field trip 
  • Overnight camping retreats

Class Topics:

  • Fall quarter: Local and Regional Environmental Issues
  • Winter quarter: Impact Development on the Environment
  • Spring quarter: Energy in American Society

The three courses associated with the Sustainability LLC can be applied to the Natural/Physical Science Elective for the Sustainability Minor through the Department of Geography and the Environment.   

View the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details about the minor.

photo of don sullivan

Faculty Mentor Spotlight

Don Sullivan

Title: Associate Professor, Department of Geography & the Environment 

Research & Teaching Focus: Climate change, environmental science, biogeography 

What I Do: I study environmental changes over the past 25,000 years and teach courses on physical geography, biogeography, and environmental science. My research explores how climate change impacts vegetation, hydrology, and ecosystems, helping students understand long-term environmental patterns. 

Academic Background: Ph.D. & MA in Geography, University of California, Berkeley; BA in Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley. 

Ready to Apply to Sustainability?

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