Clarkson University Earns Inaugural Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability

POTSDAM, N.Y., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarkson University has earned the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability, becoming one of the first institutions nationwide to receive this new recognition for its longstanding commitment to integrating sustainability throughout the University.

Clarkson is one of just 14 institutions nationwide to earn the classification through its 2025 pilot. The recognition reflects the University's broad commitment to sustainability across research, education, community engagement and campus operations, bringing together faculty, students and partners to address real-world challenges in the North Country and beyond.

Clarkson participated in the pilot program that helped shape the classification's framework and review process. The classification recognizes institutions that demonstrate a comprehensive commitment to sustainability.

The Institute for a Sustainable Environment serves as an interdisciplinary hub connecting sustainability education, research and outreach across Clarkson. That work extends throughout the University's research enterprise, including the Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions, Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering and Science (CAARES), and Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP).

Clarkson researchers are tackling challenges involving clean water and energy, air quality, resilient energy systems, waste reduction and advanced materials. Research through the Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions has supported technologies to destroy PFAS and harmful algal blooms, while other Clarkson research has explored alternative solvents for semiconductor manufacturing.

Some of that research has moved from the laboratory into the marketplace. Clarkson-developed technologies have led to startup companies addressing environmental challenges, including PFAS treatment. Student-founded KLAW Industries developed a process that repurposes waste glass for use in concrete, reducing waste and the material's carbon footprint.

Sustainability is also integrated into the Clarkson student experience. Courses including Climate Change for Engineers, Sustainable Infrastructure and Building, and Water Resources II examine issues ranging from climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure to flood control. Students also put those lessons into practice through research, capstone projects and community-based learning.

That combination of education and community engagement is particularly visible in the North Country. Clarkson faculty and students have supported the Potsdam Climate Smart Communities Task Force and worked with the Village of Potsdam on stormwater infrastructure and flooding risks. Student work has helped lay the groundwork for additional engineering projects and contributed to the village securing outside funding.

Clarkson also has a decades-long partnership with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's Air Quality Program at Akwesasne. Through CAARES, faculty and students have supported indoor and outdoor air-quality monitoring and helped identify opportunities to improve indoor air quality.

Students have also contributed research and data to sustainability planning with the New York Olympic Region and worked with regional schools, municipalities, nonprofits and businesses on food waste, infrastructure, environmental education and community resilience.

Together, these efforts reflect Clarkson's view of sustainability as more than environmental stewardship. Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Clarkson's approach also considers human well-being, economic opportunity and the strength of communities.

"The first group of inaugural institutions help bring this new classification to life," said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. "We're proud to recognize their leadership and the many ways they are advancing sustainability across their campuses and communities."

The Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability is hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder in partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education.

The 14 pilot institutions will become part of the inaugural cohort of classified institutions, which will be announced in June 2027. Institutions receiving the classification retain it for six years, through 2033.

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SOURCE Clarkson University