Engineering for One Planet Implementation at UTA
Overview
Beginning in Fall 2024, The Lemeslon Foundation EOP Grant has allowed the University of Texas at Arlington to advance sustainability in engineering education by training faculty through the new Sustainability Professional Learning Community. This initiative builds on the Maverick Advantage, the UN-17 Sustainability Development Goals, and the EOP framework to help professors design courses that include hands-on learning and sustainability-focused outcomes. Faculty receive support and incentives to incorporate sustainability concepts into their teaching, helping students develop skills that are valuable for both academic and career success. By engaging faculty across disciplines and gathering feedback from both students and instructors, the university is creating lasting change in how sustainability is taught and experienced on campus.
See the Impact:
EOP InstitutionalizationUN SDGs
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) are 17 interconnected objectives established in 2015 to guide global efforts toward a better and more sustainable future. They focus on tackling critical issues such as local and global inequality, climate change, and environmental conservation. These goals serve as a framework for governments, institutions, and communities to promote long term wellbeing and equity for people and the planet by the year 2030. The UN-17 SDGs are integrated into the Engineering for One Planet Framework, promoting sustainable practices in industry and engineering. UTA encourages faculty to integrate these goals into their courses and offers a sustainability course designation to participating faculty.
Learn more about the SDGs:
UN-17 SDGsEOP Framework
The Lemelson Grant was intentionally designed to integrate sustainability into its engineering curriculum through a structured, university-wide initiative that combines existing programs with a new, faculty-focused professional learning community. Central to this effort is the integration of the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) framework. Created by The Lemelson Foundation, the EOP framework is a national initiative designed, aligned with the UN-17 SDGs, to support engineering educators and facilitate the adoption of sustainability into their courses. Using a systems-thinking approach, EOP emphasizes the need for engineers to consider and critically analyze environmental and human impacts throughout the design process.
Learn more about Engineering for One Planet:
EOP Framework
