Engineer Our Future
Become the next inventor, innovator or business leader in sustainable technologies and design. Join Kettering University in pioneering a more sustainable world for generations to come.
A Rewarding Career. A Better Tomorrow.
You’re passionate about protecting natural resources. Excited about adopting clean energies. Fascinated by new capabilities in electric and autonomous vehicles. Committed to changing how we interact with the planet — for the better.
If this resonates with you, exploring sustainability studies in engineering, business or marketing can position you for a fulfilling career that contributes to a better world for our generation and the next.
What Are Sustainability Studies and Sustainable Engineering?
Sustainability Programs: About More Than Just Efficiency
Whether it’s water conservation, pollution prevention or even plastics reduction, we often associate “sustainability” with one focus area. True sustainability encompasses multiple, intersecting efforts to preserve, reuse and even create new resources, including water, air and energy. Sustainability studies focus on how we can utilize resources and develop as businesses, organizations and even nations without depleting those resources for future generations.
Sustainable Engineering: Supporting Smarter Innovation
Effective sustainability prioritizes smart, regenerative use of resources. Sustainable engineering helps us move the world forward — inventing new products, creating new processes, providing housing and vehicles — with those goals at the center. In other words, sustainability engineers help us grow and innovate while ensuring that we have enough resources for future development.
“Sustainability is about energy development that meets our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs because of limited natural resources, mainly fossil fuels.” – Dr. Gianfranco DiGiuseppe, Kettering University Mechanical Engineering faculty member
Why Consider Sustainability Studies?
The fastest-growing sector in the United States
Beyond creating environmental benefits and the opportunity to live out your passion, careers in sustainability are also among the fastest-growing in the United States, according to the 2022 U.S. Energy and Employment Report. Careers in clean energy and electrified vehicles show the fastest growth, with motor vehicle and component parts also standing out within the sector.
This growth is providing numerous opportunities for sustainability engineering students and tech-minded business students. If you’re interested in electric vehicle engineering or sustainable business practices, browse our sustainability programs to find a path that works for you.
Find jobs in sustainability in any industry
Whether you’re interested in engineering, business or another subsector of sustainability, sustainability studies are relevant for any industry. Energy, food and beverage, packaging, retail, foodservice and transportation are increasingly pledging to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Major brands like Disney, Nike and Starbucks have all made environmental commitments, including zero waste, reduced carbon or plastic reduction initiatives. If you’re interested in working in a specific industry, you’ll likely have several jobs in sustainability from which to choose.
Business and Engineering Careers in Sustainability
Companies are looking to fill jobs in sustainability across the board, from manufacturing to engineering to marketing. If careers in sustainability interest you, here are some common positions you can achieve with an engineering or business degree focused on sustainability.
Environmental/Sustainability Engineer
Sustainability engineers can have a wide variety of responsibilities but focus on creating solutions for environmental problems. They may work to help a company manage its wastewater, energy, air and resources. Sustainability engineers may also devise solutions for businesses to meet regulatory compliance or create and implement environmental initiatives.
Environmental and Sustainability Director
Environmental and sustainability directors help businesses meet local, national and sometimes international compliance with environmental laws. They may oversee capital planning for environmental projects, create standardized processes for energy management, identify sustainable technologies for businesses to adopt or work with marketing teams to develop communications around social responsibility.
Research Engineer (Sustainability or Clean Energy)
Research engineers help innovate new solutions to sustainability challenges. They may work to develop novel battery technology for electric vehicles, design automated tools and devices, measure greenhouse gas emissions and help develop proprietary products.
Sustainability Programs
Undergraduate Sustainability Programs
At Kettering, you’ll find numerous paths to careers in sustainability. Browse undergraduate sustainability degrees in engineering and business.
Graduate Programs in Sustainability
If you already hold an undergraduate degree and are interested in pursuing sustainability programs, explore the following graduate programs in sustainability.
Why Study Sustainability at Kettering?
Study Sustainability in the Classroom and State-of-the-Art Labs
Learn about topics like renewable energy, environmental issues, life cycle assessment, public policy, wastewater treatment, green engineering and other sustainability topics across several disciplines. With these classes, you can approach every problem and issue from a perspective informed by social, economic, and environmental perspectives. Through engineering, science and the humanities, you can help improve the world.
Explore our lab facilities.
Learn Sustainability Under Expert Faculty
Our faculty specialize in sustainable engineering and technology leadership and provide opportunities for experiential learning in the classroom.
Work Jobs in Sustainability Starting in Your First Semester
As an undergraduate in one of our sustainability programs, you’ll get real, on-the-job experience starting in year one of your time at Kettering.
Sustainability Engineering News
The Lithium Future
Denise Gray '86, Head of LG Energy Solutions North America External Affairs and Government Relations, discusses the future of electrified vehicles and the production of lithium-ion batteries.
Should you warm your car up in the winter before driving?
Bassem Ramadan, department head and professor of Mechanical Engineering, talked with Insider about the impact idling your car has on the environment.
NOAA Grant Focuses on Local Climate Impact Education
Climate Resilient Flint is a collaborative effort between Kettering University, Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint, M.A.D.E. Institute, Neighborhood Engagement Hub, Genesee Conservation District, and NOAA's Office of Education and Climate Program Office. With the goal of reducing differential access to education, knowledge, and resources, this project reflects NOAA's education mission to further equitable environmental literacy and climate resilience capacity by employing active learning and knowledge co-production.
Fuel Cell Engineer
Toyota senior engineer and alumnae Jackie Birdsall sat down to talk with Design News about the developing fuel cell technology and her experience as a female engineer in a male-dominated industry.
Electrification Technology
The clock is ticking on internal combustion, and that’s creating external consternation as the auto industry’s supply chain retools for electric vehicles. Automotive News talked alumnus Craig Renneker and two other industry veterans to discuss those challenges and also present opportunities to recharge operations for the electrified era.
Feeding The World
Entrepreneur Brian Falther (’10) details his adventure into vertical, high production farming, which yields as much 100 times more crops per acre than traditional farming.
The case of national monuments
Assistant Professor Levi Tennen's article shows how aesthetic evaluations of national monuments may hold legal weight. Such considerations can also influence decisions about whether to protect an area as a monument.
The Circular Economy
Jamie Zinser ('99, ME), Vice President of Global Automotive Sales and Marketing at Novelis, discusses sustainability and the infinite recyclability of aluminum.
What Is E15 Gas?
E15 is shorthand for gasoline (Unleaded 88) blended with 15 percent ethanol. This type of E15 gas is often cheaper, but it’s limited during the summer travel season because of its environmental effect. But E15 got more attention in 2022 when gas prices rose because of Ukraine’s war with Russia. The article in Popular Mechanics relies on information from research performed at Kettering University.
Study Sustainability. Engineer Your Career.
Learn more about sustainability programs at Kettering or apply today to start working toward a smarter tomorrow.