Penn State Sustainability

What Penn State Sustainability does

Penn State Sustainability is an institutional department within The Pennsylvania State University (a public land-grant research university founded in 1855), operating as the central coordination function for sustainability-related academics, research, campus operations, and community engagement. It serves Penn State students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external community members across the University Park campus and 24 Commonwealth Campuses throughout Pennsylvania, with selected reach into global online learners via Penn State's World Campus platform. The department's portfolio is anchored by the Sustainability Experience Center — a nine-acre living laboratory on the edge of the University Park campus featuring the MorningStar Solar Home (a 100% renewable-energy powered residence built by 800+ students and faculty for the 2007 Solar Decathlon, where it placed 4th of 20 international universities), the Eco-Machine ecological wastewater treatment system (a joint gift of the Penn State Classes of 2000 and 1950 using bacteria and plants to purify wastewater while producing biofuels), a nine-acre Community Garden, duckweed research systems, and small wind turbines (Whisper and Sky Stream models). It also operates the Student Farm, the Local Climate Action Program, SustainaLions (a faculty/staff Employee Resource Group), EcoReps (student sustainability representatives), Blue Crew Recycling Ambassadors, and the Sustainable Communities Collaborative.

The department's product surface is primarily programmatic rather than commercial. Academic offerings include the Intercollege Sustainability Leadership Minor (four tracks: Design for Sustainable Communities, Educating for Sustainability, Humanistic Understanding of Sustainability, and Sustainability and Food Systems), an extensive cross-college undergraduate and graduate course catalog, World Campus online degrees and certificates (Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems M.P.S., Energy and Sustainability Policy B.A., Turfgrass Science B.S., Earth Sustainability certificate), and experiential learning through Living Labs, EnvironMentors, and the SEC Creative Writing Project. All programs and services are offered free of charge to participants; the department does not operate a commercial revenue model and is funded through Penn State's institutional budgets, state appropriations, grants, and donations. The department is also a primary advocate for sustainability on the Penn State campus and reports through the university's Sustainability Institute, with named stakeholders including Peter Boger (Director for Engagement), Dr. Carter Hunt (Faculty-in-Charge of the Sustainability Leadership Minor), Emily Weaver (SEC Coordinator), and Corey Gracie-Griffin (SEC Outreach).

Penn State Sustainability's partnerships include the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework (organizing programming around all 17 SDGs), Microsoft (Teams platform for cross-campus collaboration), Shaver's Creek Environmental Center (K-12 Outdoor School Counselor programs), and the historical Class-of-1950/Class-of-2000 Eco-Machine gift. Reach is constrained to Pennsylvania physically, with global distribution only via the World Campus online channel; the entity has no commercial customers, no pricing model, and no external ownership — it is a public state-related university department governed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Name

Penn State Sustainability

Legal name

The Pennsylvania State University

Website

https://sustainability.psu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Penn State Sustainability is an institutional department within The Pennsylvania State University that coordinates sustainability education, research, and operations across the University Park campus and 24 Commonwealth Campuses, serving students, faculty, staff, and community members through academic programs, a nine-acre living laboratory, and SDG-aligned programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Sustainability Programs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Services, Waste & Recycling Management (EDALALAI), Waste, Recycling & Sustainability Services (EDAEAAAF), Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK)

Keywords

• Sustainability education programs
• Experiential sustainability learning
• Higher education sustainability
• Ecological research facilities
• Community sustainability engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Penn State Sustainability coordinates and delivers sustainability-focused academic programs, experiential learning facilities, campus operations initiatives, and community engagement programs across The Pennsylvania State University system. Core offerings include the nine-acre Sustainability Experience Center living laboratory with the MorningStar Solar Home and Eco-Machine, academic programs such as the Sustainability Leadership Minor and World Campus online degrees, the Student Farm, and community-based programs like the Local Climate Action Program and SustainaLions Employee Resource Group.

Product overview

Penn State Sustainability is an educational and programmatic portfolio rather than a unified software product. The primary offerings include the Sustainability Experience Center (SEC), a nine-acre living laboratory featuring the MorningStar Solar Home and Eco-Machine™; academic programs through the Sustainability Leadership Minor and World Campus; an extensive catalog of sustainability-focused courses across multiple colleges; and community programs including SustainaLions ERG, Student Farm, and the SEC Creative Writing Project. The portfolio operates as a coordination layer across Penn State's campuses, connecting educational, operational, and community sustainability initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SustainaLions: Employee Resource Group for Penn State faculty and staff interested in sustainability
• EcoReps
• MorningStar Solar Home
• Eco-Machine
• Feed the People Market Stand
• Commonwealth Campus Sustainability Forums

Products and services

• Sustainability Experience Center (SEC) A nine-acre living laboratory on Penn State's University Park campus providing a site for students, faculty, and community members to research and learn about sustainability across food, energy, water, land, and community systems.
• Sustainability Leadership Minor

Quantifiable outcome

• Fourth place finish in 2007 Solar Decathlon among 20 international universities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Penn State Class of 2000coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Joint donor with the Class of 1950 of the Eco-Machine, an ecological wastewater treatment system at the Sustainability Experience Center that uses bacteria and plants to purify wastewater while producing biofuels and agricultural products.
• Penn State Class of 1950coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1950Joint donor with the Class of 2000 of the Eco-Machine, an ecological wastewater treatment system at the Sustainability Experience Center that uses bacteria and plants to purify wastewater while producing biofuels and agricultural products.
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn State's sustainability programs align with and are organized around the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action, eliminating hunger and poverty, peaceful and just institutions, and innovation and infrastructure. SDG Snapshots and SDG Progress tracking are integrated into campus efforts.
• MicrosoftsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCommonwealth Campus sustainability leaders and members connect online through the Microsoft Teams platform, facilitating communication and collaboration across Penn State's 24 campus locations.
• Shaver's Creek Environmental CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Outdoor School Counselor programs where students mentor elementary-aged children in outdoor education relating to natural history, ecosystems and group dynamics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• University of Florida Office of Sustainability: Coordinates UF's sustainability initiatives in academics, operations, and student engagement. Comparable as a large public research university sustainability office with similar campus programming, student ambassador networks, and operational programs.
• MIT Sustainability: Coordinates MIT-wide sustainability efforts across academics, operations, and engagement. Direct peer to Penn State Sustainability in mission and structure—both translate university-scale research and operational expertise into student-facing programs and campus initiatives.
• Yale Office of Sustainability: Coordinates sustainability academics, operations, and engagement across Yale University. Most directly comparable to Penn State Sustainability in scope and structure—both serve as cross-campus coordinators of academic programs, campus operations, and student/faculty engagement at major research universities.
• Duke Sustainability: Leads Duke University's campus-wide sustainability strategy across curriculum, operations, and student life. Parallels Penn State Sustainability in coordinating academics, facilities, and engagement programs at a major research university.
• Harvard Office for Sustainability: Runs Harvard's university-wide sustainability strategy across academics, operations, and culture. Closely parallels Penn State Sustainability's mandate of integrating sustainability into curriculum, campus operations, and community engagement at a major US research university.
• University of California Office of the President — Sustainability: System-wide sustainability coordination across the 10-campus UC system. Mirrors Penn State Sustainability's role of coordinating sustainability across multiple geographically distributed campuses within a single university system.
• Arizona State University Sustainability: ASU's sustainability hub spanning schools, operations, and community programs. Comparable as a multi-campus/multi-location university sustainability coordinator with strong academic and engagement programs.
• Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability: Stanford's hub for sustainability teaching, research, and campus operations. Comparable to Penn State Sustainability as a large-scale, multi-disciplinary sustainability platform embedded within a research university, though Stanford has gone further with a dedicated school structure.
• University of Michigan Graham Sustainability Institute: Coordinates cross-disciplinary sustainability research, education, and partnerships at U-M. Comparable in that it integrates academic programs, applied research, and campus/community engagement—mirroring Penn State Sustainability's coordination role.
• Cornell Sustainability: Cornell's university-wide sustainability office spanning academics, operations, and engagement. Direct peer in a fellow land-grant institution with comparable academic, research, and campus-operations portfolios oriented around sustainability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sustainpsu
• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainpsu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-state-sustainability

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Penn State Sustainability