Sustainability
Our Colors May Be Red and Blue, But We Also Look Good In Green
The University of Dayton is a leader in sustainability efforts, and we're committed to making the world a better place — for everyone.
Our work toward a more sustainable world crosses disciplines, programs and divisions. Dining Services runs one of the largest food-composting program in the nation. Through the Green Revolving Fund, UD faculty, staff and students can propose sustainability projects that promote environmental stewardship and save the University money.
We're a charter participant of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating (STARS) system, and we earned a gold rating for our sustainability achievements. As a top performer in the 2019 sustainable campus index, UD ranked in the top 3% of all rated schools, first in Ohio and second among all U.S. Catholic colleges and universities.
A fair trade university, UD is part of the U.N. Global Compact, the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Second Nature's Resilience Commitment, Second Nature's Carbon Commitment and "We're Still In."
Top 20
Ranked a "cool school" by Sierra Magazine for our sustainability efforts.
#1
Earned a gold STARS rating for our sustainability achievements.
#1
Home to what's thought to be the largest food-composting program in the nation.
Lincoln Hill Gardens
A partnership among the University of Dayton, East End Community Services and Mission of Mary Cooperative is working to transform the former Lincoln Elementary School site into an urban farm and greenspace to serve the common good.
Hanley Sustainability Institute
Through our Hanley Sustainability Institute, we have developed innovative, transdisciplinary projects that have made a visible, positive impact on the campus and surrounding community.
Hanley Sustainability InstituteGreen Revolving Fund
With the Green Revolving Fund, we're changing the way we operate – literally. This program invests funds into green projects, and once the project pays for itself, we use the savings to invest in another sustainable project.
Green Revolving FundRenewable and Clean Energy
Our master's program in renewable and clean energy attracts the best and brightest from around the globe.
Renewable and Clean EnergySustainability Program
This program focuses on solving sustainability issues through collaboration across several academic disciplines.
Sustainability ProgramDiscoveries that Benefit Humanity
We conduct millions of dollars in sponsored research annually in virtually all areas of energy — wind, fuel cells and batteries, algae, coal-to-liquid fuels and other clean, alternative energy research. And our scientists are leading synthetic fuel efforts at a one-of-a-kind U.S. Air Force facility.
The von Ohain Fuels and Combustion Center in the School of Engineering is ranked by NASA among the top three fuels and combustion programs at national research universities, and the state of Ohio has named the University of Dayton a Center of Excellence in Fuels and Combustion.
Sustainability Research
Climate Change and the Arctic Sea
A study co-published by University of Dayton physicist Ivan Sudakov offers a model to better predict the effects of climate change on Arctic sea ice, which could improve climate models for predicting ice loss in the Arctic.
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Jet Fuel From Junk
That pizza box that was too cheesy to be recycled may still have a shot at a second life outside of a landfill — and in the fuel tank of your next flight.
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Water Towers: Roles and Woes
Environmental geologist Umesh Haritashya is one of 32 international scientists who contributed to research published in Nature that assessed and ranked glacier-based water systems, known as water towers, in order of their importance and vulnerability.
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