Tufts Office of Sustainability serves as a resource, a catalyst, and an advocate for environmental sustainability at Tufts. Often OOS serves as a bridge between ideas and their practical implementation. The office is supported by the university and works to:
Enhance Tufts' reputation as a leader.
Ensure that Tufts' efforts are comprehensive and focused on meaningful projects
Identify, evaluate, and implement opportunities for leadership
Promote the strength of Tufts sustainability efforts, including those of faculty and students.
Measure Tufts' progress toward commitments and regional goals
Identify sustainability opportunities that may provide Tufts with significant benefit such as reduced risk, financial savings, and avoided problems/fines.
Identify opportunities in new buildings and master plan implementation
Integrate sustainability issues into research, scholarship and student life.
The Tufts University recycling program was established in 1990 to promote recycling awareness and participation in a broad range of related environmental issues. Tufts Recycles is a program of the Facilities Department. The program works closely with the custodial staff at One Source and Tufts' recycling contractor, Conigliaro Industries, to ensure that recycling at Tufts is carried out to its fullest potential.
Water: Systems, Science and Society
The purpose of the WSSS program is to provide the interdisciplinary perspectives and tools to manage water related problems. To ensure sufficient depth and expertise in a particular discipline, graduate students in the WSSS Program enroll in and obtain their degrees from an existing school or department, fulfilling all requirements for that program. In addition, students take a set of electives from four broad core areas, participate in the Research Practicum (required for all first-year students) and unifying seminars and workshops specific to WSSS, undertake an interdisciplinary professional experience or field internship, and conduct interdisciplinary research. Upon completion of these activities, the student is awarded a WSSS certificate.
Center for International Environment and Resource Policy
Established in 1990 to support the growing demand for international environmental leaders, the Center for International Environmental and Resource Policy (CIERP) provides an interdisciplinary approach to educate graduate students at The Fletcher School. The program integrates emerging science, engineering, and business concepts with more traditional subjects such as economics, international law and policy, negotiation, diplomacy, resource management and governance systems. Our students develop appreciation for the complex nature of formulating effective environmental strategies and solutions. Upon graduation, students are prepared to apply this new diplomatic approach in the context of government and intergovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Institute for Global Leadership
The mission of the IGL is to prepare new generations of critical thinkers for effective and ethical leadership, ready to act as global citizens in addressing international and national issues across cultures. In 2005, the IGL was named a distinctive, cross-school program of the University. The Institute emphasizes rigorous academic preparation and experiential learning. Students learn through intensive engagement in classes, global research, internships, workshops, simulations and international symposia - all involving national and international leaders from the public and private sectors. Among its more than 16 programs are EPIIC, Inquiry, the China Cross-Cultural Leadership Program, and EXPOSURE, and it offers many opportunities for global research and internships. The Institute promotes the linkage of theory to practice and exposes students to the rigors and challenges of a diverse world.
Global Development and Environment Institute
GDAE was founded in 1993 to combine the research and curricular development activities of two Tufts programs: the Program for Sustainable Change and Development in the School of Arts and Sciences and the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School. The combination creates a center of expertise in economics, policy, science and technology. The Institute has produced more than a dozen books and numerous articles, policy documents, and discussion papers. These materials are being used in academic settings, to enhance the teaching of economics and related subjects, and in policy circles, where GDAE researchers are recognized leaders in their fields.
Stockholm Environment Institute
SEI an international research organization working on sustainable development. Its US branch is a research affiliate of Tufts. SEI's work is interdisciplinary in nature: drawing upon engineering, economics, ecology, ethics, operations research, international relations and software design. The institute conducts applied scientific research, bringing the best available science to policy makers. In addition to providing policy-relevant analyses, SEI builds capacity in the developing world for integrated sustainability planning through training and collaboration on projects. Their decision support tools for energy and climate mitigation and water resources are widely used.
Green Grafton Campus Committee
The mission of the GGCC, an ad hoc committee comprising representative members of the Grafton campus community, is fundamentally to identify, investigate, and address the environmental impacts of any activities occurring on the Grafton Campus. The committee is charged with developing recommendations for reasonable solutions to decrease negative environmental impacts when possible.
Center for Conservation Medicine
Tufts CCM takes a unique interdisciplinary approach to ecosystem health. Through the practice of Conservation Medicine, Tufts CCM brings together veterinarians, physicians, ecologists, and conservation professionals to develop education and research activities that explore the relationships among animal, human, and environmental health.
In the fall of 1999, Zipcar was founded by two women (including TIE's director, Antje Danielson) excited about a concept they had seen in Berlin. Cars were parked around the city for members to drive by the hour instead of owning their own vehicles. They put an American spin on it, outfitting the cars with wireless technology, creating a hassle-free reservation system and strategically placing the cars around key cities and neighborhoods. In June of 2000 the first Zipcars were on the road for hourly or daily rental. Zipcar has collaborated with Tufts University to provide a University discount and energy-efficient Toyota Priuses on campus.
