Preparing students for world-changing careers
Join us to…
EXPLORE the world’s most pressing issues, from racial and economic injustice, to unsustainable food systems and food insecurity, to climate change
ANALYZE the social, economic, and environmental transformations necessary to address them
DEVELOP the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience to make a difference
DISCOVER how you can join the people and organizations leading change
IMAGINE thriving, equitable, and sustainable communities within an ecologically healthy world
Welcome letter from the Department Chair, Dr. Laird Christensen
News
SD Student Sophie Schneider Selected as Chancellor's Scholar
Oct 21, 2026
The College of Fine and Applied Arts is proud to recognize Sophie Schneider, a Sustainable Development major with a concentration in Agroecology and S...
SD Student Kate Borkowski Summits Mt. Kilimanjaro
Oct 11, 2026
Sustainable Development (SD) sophomore Kate Borkowski recently traveled to Tanzania to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, a snow-capped volcano that is Africa’...
The Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Department Hosts Inaugural "Front Porch” Event
Oct 8, 2026
On Wednesday, September 16th, The Goodnight Family Sustainable Development (SD) Department hosted the inaugural event of its “Front Porch” series....
What Our Alumni Are Saying
I would say that my college career at ASU was the most difficult yet the most wonderfully rewarding career of my lifetime! My work and time spent as a student in the Sustainable Development Department at Appalachian taught me not only academic information about sustainability, but also how to engage in critical thinking and intelligent, productive debate. I learned the process of locating, assimilating and compiling reliable information as well as how to productively gain positive results. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for me! I will be forever grateful for what I learned and also for the wonderful relationships built while I was there with fellow students and faculty.