In his former position as associate dean for Research at Smeal, Gerry Susman assessed the research interests of the College’s faculty in 2008 and recognized sustainability as a consistent theme. To spur collaborations on this topic, he helped form the Smeal Sustainability Council, a loose confederation of faculty and unit directors across the University interested in sustainability. A 12-member Board of Advisors serves to keep Smeal abreast of the latest corporate developments in sustainability and align its strengths with issues the members encounter in their businesses. The members, representing a broad array of corporations such as PepsiCo, Siemens, Alcoa, Avon Products and Caterpillar, offer a broad industry perspective and suggest research areas for study and collaborations.
Building on this importance of collaboration, Smeal’s sustainability plan outlines ways to foster collaborations both within Smeal and across college boundaries. Smeal will create a scholar-in-residence program and hold workshops for faculty to promote dialogues on research topics. To assist the college in shaping its research and teaching of sustainability, Smeal will create a Professor of Sustainability in Business position either solely within its college, or as a joint faculty appointment with another college.
Who are the leading researchers in business sustainability, and what are the knowledge gaps? Next fall, the college will support a study to identify the people, issues and opportunities for further study. It is proposed that these initiatives will lead to the creation of the Center for Sustainable Business Research that will focus on “research on business ecosystems that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.”