CURRENT SD PROGRAMMATIC RESEARCH INTERESTS
In addition to all the interesting research our individual participating faculty is doing, Sustainable Development at ASU has its own, programmatic research projects and agenda. While we do engage in "pure" research as with most universities the SD Program is particularly interested in applied research projects.
The Sustainable Development Program is in a unique position to facilitate collaborative research throughout the ASU campus. Because the program is inter and cross disciplinary, it has contacts with many departments in the university as well as strong community relationships via it Outreach component. This is a valuable asset as funding agencies increasingly require researchers to engage in collaborative and multidisciplinary projects. Additionally, the field of sustainable development is diverse and hence there are opportunities to pursue research in numerous areas. Perhaps even more important is that we want to provide Appalachian State University faculty and students opportunities to participate in and experience quality and substantive research projects.
SD's Greenhouse and Agroecology Initiative
A current proposed effort will couple sustainable agriculture concepts with regional economic development. ASU researchers, local business people and local farmers are collaborating to construct and test innovative new greenhouse designs that will allow high country farmers to become more economically viable by extending our relatively short growing season, reducing energy use, and reducing negative environmental impacts.
The SD Archiving Project
SD at ASU is one of the oldest and most mature programs of its type in the nation. With this in mind, SD faculty and students are also planning to document the 15-year history of the program and archive relevant materials. This will provide an "institutional memory" for people who join the program in the future. It will also allow the researchers to analyze the program's evolution to assess the benefits that programs like this provide not only to education, but to the broader community.
Sustainable Community and Economic Development - Cove Creek
Another research area will focus on sustainable communities. This will apply concepts from industrial ecology, green design, local economic development, and other sustainability fields to begin to understand how to develop local/regional communities that incur fewer negative environmental impacts, increase economic well-being, and facilitate positive human interaction. The Cove Creek School, where our Outreach offices are located, is a prime example of how sustainable economic development, community pride, and environmental sensibility can be integrated in a very positive way.
Land Protection and Conservation
For some time now the SD Program has been very involved in land conservation / preservation in our immediate region. To this end, we hope to be able to soon provide a concentrated academic focus and curriculum in that area of study. We are currently engaged in a research project to survey and interview area land protection and conservation NPOs and Government agencies and officials. Their knowledge, expertise, and experience will help make our curriculum and outreach efforts even stronger, as well as preparing our students for interesting and multifaceted "real world" careers in land protection and conservation.
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