GradFUTURES Sustainability Learning Cohort: 1. Intro to Sustainability and Provisioning Systems Approach from Local to Global

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, graduate students will learn, discuss and investigate goals and dimensions of Sustainability, and practical challenges and solutions.This cohort is in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and GradFUTURES graduate student fellows.

Upon successful completion of learning cohort including capstone, participants will receive a micro-credential and certification recognizing their proficiency in Sustainability.

Learning Objectives
Participants of GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort will learn and discuss the following: 

Sustainability goals and dimensions (e.g., environmental, social, economic) across fields
Systems thinking for sustainable design and solutions of complex (climate-related) challenges impacting society
Environment and social sustainability approaches and impacts for business, technology, research, entrepreneurship, policy
Role of individual and collective behaviors on sustainability
Imperative of interdisciplinary and cross-sector (academic-public-private) collaboration 
Effective and dynamic communication and storytelling to inform and influence decision makers. 
Professional pathways in areas of sustainability across academia, government, and industry 
Hands-on experience to real-world projects touching different dimensions of sustainability

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, graduate students will learn, discuss and investigate goals and dimensions of Sustainability, and practical challenges and solutions.This cohort is in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and GradFUTURES graduate student fellows.

Upon successful completion of learning cohort including capstone, participants will receive a micro-credential and certification recognizing their proficiency in Sustainability.

Learning Objectives
Participants of GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort will learn and discuss the following: 

Sustainability goals and dimensions (e.g., environmental, social, economic) across fields
Systems thinking for sustainable design and solutions of complex (climate-related) challenges impacting society
Environment and social sustainability approaches and impacts for business, technology, research, entrepreneurship, policy
Role of individual and collective behaviors on sustainability
Imperative of interdisciplinary and cross-sector (academic-public-private) collaboration 
Effective and dynamic communication and storytelling to inform and influence decision makers. 
Professional pathways in areas of sustainability across academia, government, and industry 
Hands-on experience to real-world projects touching different dimensions of sustainability

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, graduate students will learn, discuss and investigate goals and dimensions of Sustainability, and practical challenges and solutions.This cohort is in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and GradFUTURES graduate student fellows.

Upon successful completion of learning cohort including capstone, participants will receive a micro-credential and certification recognizing their proficiency in Sustainability.

Learning Objectives
Participants of GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort will learn and discuss the following: 

Sustainability goals and dimensions (e.g., environmental, social, economic) across fields
Systems thinking for sustainable design and solutions of complex (climate-related) challenges impacting society
Environment and social sustainability approaches and impacts for business, technology, research, entrepreneurship, policy
Role of individual and collective behaviors on sustainability
Imperative of interdisciplinary and cross-sector (academic-public-private) collaboration 
Effective and dynamic communication and storytelling to inform and influence decision makers. 
Professional pathways in areas of sustainability across academia, government, and industry 
Hands-on experience to real-world projects touching different dimensions of sustainability

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, graduate students will learn, discuss and investigate goals and dimensions of Sustainability, and practical challenges and solutions.This cohort is in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and GradFUTURES graduate student fellows.

Upon successful completion of learning cohort including capstone, participants will receive a micro-credential and certification recognizing their proficiency in Sustainability.

Learning Objectives
Participants of GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort will learn and discuss the following: 

Sustainability goals and dimensions (e.g., environmental, social, economic) across fields
Systems thinking for sustainable design and solutions of complex (climate-related) challenges impacting society
Environment and social sustainability approaches and impacts for business, technology, research, entrepreneurship, policy
Role of individual and collective behaviors on sustainability
Imperative of interdisciplinary and cross-sector (academic-public-private) collaboration 
Effective and dynamic communication and storytelling to inform and influence decision makers. 
Professional pathways in areas of sustainability across academia, government, and industry 
Hands-on experience to real-world projects touching different dimensions of sustainability

Imagine a world where all segments of society demanded environmentally benign climate neutral products! Imagine if all consumers, all retailers and all manufacturers insisted on buying and selling only non-toxic truly sustainable materials! The unfortunate reality is that, even if this situation were to occur, our knowledge of materials science and chemistry would allow us to provide only a small fraction of the necessary products and materials that our economy is based upon.

Unfortunately, the way we learn and teach chemistry and materials science in academia is for the most part void of any information regarding mechanisms of toxicity and environmental harm. Green Chemistry is a science that seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials at the design stage of a materials process. It has been demonstrated that materials and products CAN be designed with negligible impact on human health and the environment while still being economically competitive and successful in the marketplace.

This presentation will describe the history and background of Green Chemistry and discuss the opportunities for the next generation of materials designers to create a safer and more sustainable future.

Guest Speaker: John C. Warner (*88, CHM), Chemistry Inventor and co-founder of the field of Green Chemistry. 

This keynote talk is a part of the GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, and is co-sponsored by the Department of Chemistry.
This event is also a part of the 2025 GradFUTURES Forum hosted by the Princeton University Graduate School. The forum is a weeklong professional development conference for graduate students offering opportunities for meaningful professional growth and exploration of futures within and beyond the academy. With many inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, career panels, and networking receptions, the 2025 GradFUTURES Forum is open to the broader graduate community at Princeton and beyond.

Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, graduate students will learn, discuss and investigate goals and dimensions of Sustainability, and practical challenges and solutions.This cohort is in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and GradFUTURES graduate student fellows.

Upon successful completion of learning cohort including capstone, participants will receive a micro-credential and certification recognizing their proficiency in Sustainability.

Learning Objectives
Participants of GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort will learn and discuss the following: 

Sustainability goals and dimensions (e.g., environmental, social, economic) across fields
Systems thinking for sustainable design and solutions of complex (climate-related) challenges impacting society
Environment and social sustainability approaches and impacts for business, technology, research, entrepreneurship, policy
Role of individual and collective behaviors on sustainability
Imperative of interdisciplinary and cross-sector (academic-public-private) collaboration 
Effective and dynamic communication and storytelling to inform and influence decision makers. 
Professional pathways in areas of sustainability across academia, government, and industry 
Hands-on experience to real-world projects touching different dimensions of sustainability

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, graduate students will learn, discuss and investigate goals and dimensions of Sustainability, and practical challenges and solutions.This cohort is in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and GradFUTURES graduate student fellows.

Upon successful completion of learning cohort including capstone, participants will receive a micro-credential and certification recognizing their proficiency in Sustainability.

Learning Objectives
Participants of GradFUTURES Sustainability learning cohort will learn and discuss the following: 

Sustainability goals and dimensions (e.g., environmental, social, economic) across fields
Systems thinking for sustainable design and solutions of complex (climate-related) challenges impacting society
Environment and social sustainability approaches and impacts for business, technology, research, entrepreneurship, policy
Role of individual and collective behaviors on sustainability
Imperative of interdisciplinary and cross-sector (academic-public-private) collaboration 
Effective and dynamic communication and storytelling to inform and influence decision makers. 
Professional pathways in areas of sustainability across academia, government, and industry 
Hands-on experience to real-world projects touching different dimensions of sustainability

Through guest speakers, case studies and immersive capstone, students will learn, discuss and investigate landscape and careers in science policy, at the federal and state levels. 

This cohort is in partnership with Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment (CPREE). Co-developed by Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation and graduate students, this learning cohort leverages expertise of Princeton’s faculty, graduate students, staff and alumni, and external partners.

Learning Objectives
Participants of the GradFUTURES-C-PREE Science Policy Learning Cohort will learn and discuss the following:

The landscape of science policy- how scientific evidence informs and influences policy making, and how policies impact scientific research.
The systems, people and process policymaking at the federal and state levels including agenda setting and budget allocations.
How stakeholders or constituents can inform or influence policy agendas. 
Role of researchers in informing evidence-based science policy.
Pathways into science policy for scientists and scholars across public or private sectors. 
Visualizing ideas to actions through case studies, bills or acts passed (or failed to pass) at the federal or state level, and factors influencing outcomes. 
Imperative for interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, social scientists, public and policy makers for successful science policy.
Effective communication skills to engage policy makers and constituents shaping science policy