Driving Economic Advancement

With a history of success in scientific, technological and environmental research, BGSU’s Center for Excellence in Sustainability and the Environment is taking a leadership position in Ohio and the nation.

There are many examples that highlight the Center’s accomplishments and capacity for continued innovation. First, the program has generated an impressive list of invention disclosures, patents, and startup companies in collaboration with external partners. For example, Blue Water Satellite, Inc. evolved from research by BGSU faculty, which led to a patent to the university to detect cyanobacteria using satellite data.

Another clear example of the Center’s prolific work output and influence can be seen in its ability to attract external funding. Nearly $12 million has been received over the past five years from both government and private institutions such as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and major energy companies.

Enormously relevant and timely, much of the Center’s teaching and research is central to the Ohio Third Frontier initiative and falls into areas identified in the President’s High Growth Job Training initiative. And, several hundred undergraduate and graduate students from these programs have entered the workforce in the past few years, many in Ohio. This legacy of scholarship and service is just the beginning … there’s no end in sight as the Center continues to grow and help solve some of today’s most pressing environmental and energy resource issues.