Curriculum and Research
Highlights
Research and Independent Study
Western has a number of programs that facilitate student-led sustainability research and independent study projects. These include programs run by the Center for Community Learning, City Sprouts Farm, the Sustainability Engagement Institute, Salish Sea Institute, the Institute of Watershed Studies, and many other departments, centers, and institutes on campus.
Support for Instructors
Western hosts the Curriculum for the Bioregion program, which supports post-secondary faculty to incorporate climate justice, sustainability, and place-based learning into their courses. The curriculum collection offers teachers from across the Pacific Northwest a place to find and share class activities and curriculum ideas.
WWU Library Sustainability Shelf
Located just across the hall from the Tutoring Center, WWU’s Library maintains a shelf of books and learning materials related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A digital version of what’s on the Sustainability Shelf, along with hundreds of other resources related to the UN SDGs and more, is available online through WWU Library Guides.
Did you know?
Research Spotlight: Is wildfire soot accelerating climate change?
This is the question a three-person research team from Western explored during their research trip to Greenland. The team was made up of Associate Professor Alia Khan, graduate student Colby Rand, and 2023 Western graduate Molly Adshead. Their primary mission was to study how different particles darken the surface of the ice sheet and affect melt. The snow and ice samples collected during this trip will go into Khan’s database, which is made up of samples from across the global cryosphere. This work will help further our understanding of the causes of Greenland’s melting ice sheet. The deeper this topic is understood, the more accurately scientists will be able to predict the impacts of sea level rise and make informed decisions on how to address it.
