Stories

Purdue Engineering faculty members and ISF leadership team members Peter Bermel and Hua Cai have been named newly approved University Faculty Scholars, a distinction recognizing emerging academic leaders whose research and scholarship are making significant national and global impact. The…

Read More

Congratulations to ISF affiliate Andrew Whelton on receiving the Purdue College of Engineering’s Faculty Excellence Award for Engagement in recognition of his leadership advancing disaster-ready water systems and protecting public health through applied research and community partnership. A professor of…

Read More

Maria S. Sepúlveda, Co-lead of the PFAS Strategic Research Team at ISF | Professor, Forestry and Natural Resources | Adjunct, Civil Engineering, Purdue University Maria Sepúlveda has always been driven by a deep curiosity about the relationship between environmental health…

Read More

Aaron Thompson – Co-Lead, ISF Great Lakes Science Initiative; Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture Aaron Thompson’s work is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: that sustainable and resilient landscapes emerge when science, planning, and community voices come together. Trained as…

Read More

Chad Laux, Circular Economy Systems Co-Lead and Associate Professor & Graduate Education Chair, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, has always been drawn to systems — how they work, how they fail, and how they can be made better for people, industry, and the planet. His career began with a fascination for quality and efficiency in manufacturing, and over time evolved into something broader: a commitment to rethinking how we use resources entirely.

Read More

ISF’s mission is to promote research, partnerships, and engagement in areas including the environment, climate impacts and resilience, food-energy-water security, human and biosphere health, and sustainability as broadly defined by the Sustainable Development Goals. In the past year the Institute has added several new research groups to expand its reach.

Read More

Purdue University has received a National Science Foundation grant to establish the Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2): Midwest Agrivoltaics for Resilient Communities. This initiative aims to help rural Midwest communities withstand extreme weather by integrating agriculture with solar energy systems. The Phase 1 award positions Purdue to compete for up to $15 million in Phase 2 funding.

Read More

The annual ISF Fall research Expo will be held on October 15th in the Purdue Memorial Union South Ballroom. This annual gathering is a highlight of the Institute for a Sustainable Future’s outreach and engagement efforts, offering a showcase of the breadth and depth of sustainability-related scholarship happening across Purdue. 

Read More

PFAS researcher Jennifer Freeman recently spoke to Newsweek discussing the Waterkeeper Alliance study, which has found carcinogenic PFAS chemicals—known as “forever chemicals”—in drinking water sources across 34 states and the District of Columbia, raising concern about public health risks. PFAS, widely used in consumer goods like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics, have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease and other serious illnesses. Despite enforceable limits announced by the EPA in April, public water systems have until 2029 to comply with treatment standards.

Read More

As a follow up to the Spring 2025 Sustainability Literacy and Culture assessment administered to campus students in April, ISF, as lead for the “Campus Sustainability Self-study” project, will be running a similar survey from September 15-26th.

Read More