Center for Sustainable Systems Studies


Ray Gorman, Orie Loucks, Steve Elliott, and Allison Leavitt.

Research Projects

CSSS, like other academic institutions, accepts the need to understand all aspects of movement toward a healthy and environmentally benign industrial base. Study of these questions requires a high level of interdisciplinary research, rare in government or the private sector, but quite possible in universities and non-governmental organizations.

Therefore, the Centerís research themes address innovation in instruction, new measures of corporate environmental performance and financial return, and the publicís valuation of environmental amenities. A common denominator among all the areas of inquiry (measures of performance, value creation in the environment, cost benefit analysis etc.) is the problem of outcome quantitation. A need exists on the part of academe, industry, government and the public for agreement on methodologies for verifying progress.

A core problem for these methodologies stems from their derivation in the science and technology of production processes or pollution abatement on one hand, and the costs, returns on investment and profitability of businesses on another hand. Both are framed by diverse pubic values and concern for unnecessary risks to human health or the environment. Through the research activities of the Center, we seek to broaden the publicís understanding of these problems and possibly advance their resolution.

Research projects

Research presentations