About Us
Smeal College of Business formal engagement with sustainability began in 2008 when then Senior Associate Dean of Research, Dr. Gerald Susman, began holding lunch talks with interested faculty. Today, sustainability is a strategic priority for Smeal, and a topic that increasingly permeates the educational experiences, research activities, outreach, and operations of the college. The Center for the Business of Sustainability aligns with Smeal’s vision to be one of the very best business schools in the world. It's producing leading-edge business research brought to life in active learning environments by an outstanding faculty, and preparing graduates for productive careers in business.
Our Team
Daniel R. Cahoy
Research Director
Risk Management
Tracey Mariner
Administrative Support Coordinator
Center for the Business of Sustainability
Megan Nollman
Part-time Student Program Coordinator
Center for the Business of Sustainability
Ronald Johnson
Education Chair
Management & Organization
Ashley Rippey
ICT Co-Chair
Business Career Center
Tina Rose
ICT Co-Chair
Business Career Center
Our Interns
Our intern program is a paid experiential learning internship where students are charged with a project that relates to the Center’s mission: to accelerate the integration of sustainability in business, while also engaging with other Center staff and interns in an intentionally developmental and collaborative environment.
Center Committees and Advisory Board
Much of the Center's work is accomplished through different committees of faculty members throughout Smeal, as well as business professionals working in sustainability across the country.
Research Working Group
The Research Working Group is a team of research faculty focused on bringing attention to, supporting and advancing sustainability-focused research within the Smeal College of Business.
Education Working Group
The Education Working Group is focused on integrating sustainability into the total educational and career development experience of Smeal students both inside and outside the classroom.
Impact Careers Team
The Impact Careers Team was launched in 2021 with the goal of creating programs to better serve students that are interested in a career in sustainability.
Sustainability Advisory Board
The Advisory Board assists in guiding Smeal’s sustainability agenda by helping to match the college’s strengths with the sustainability issues that the board members encounter as they lead their corporations’ sustainability efforts. The board also benchmarks Smeal’s sustainability efforts with those of other business schools, identifies essential sustainability research areas, explores collaborations with other University sustainability initiatives, and evaluates the college’s graduate and undergraduate sustainability curricula.
Smeal Sustainability Alumni Network
The Center collaborates with Smeal Alumni Relations to support alumni with an interest in leveraging business for positive social impact. Specifically, we have created the Smeal Sustainability Alumni Network (SSAN) to connect Smeal with Penn State alumni who have a personal or professional interest in sustainability through business and the marketplace.