On January 23, Ohio State launched the Sustainability Institute, which has been designed to support and integrate sustainability and resilience scholarship and activities across the university. The institute will help in areas including development of research grant proposals; enhancing student curriculum; building partnerships with businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations and peer universities; hosting educational and outreach events; and creating opportunities for living laboratories for teaching and research on campus.
Beth Snoke, director of the universit's Department of Transportation and Traffic Management, spoke at the launch event. “Getting to carbon neutrality by 2050 will take creativity, commitment and innovation,” said Snoke. “We have an obligation to take what we learn on campus in sustainability and transfer it to the Columbus community and beyond. The creation of the Sustainability Institute strengthens the internal partnership we had already created to engage faculty and students in our campus sustainability plans."