rian Eisenhauer received his BA from Colorado State University, MA from Humboldt State University, and PhD from Utah State University. He joined the PSU faculty in 2004 and has directed the Office of Sustainability since 2010. In 2013 he was named the first recipient of the Helen Abbot ’13 Professorship in Environmental Studies.

Plymouth Magazine (PM): What are common misconceptions about sustainability?

Professor Eisenhauer: That it involves sacrifice. The truth of the matter is that we can examine our choices and do things that are better for us and the planet and indeed make us happier.

The other misconception is that pursuing it is a luxury, but every sustainability project we’ve done on campus has involved savings.

(PM): What are among PSU’s significant sustainability accomplishments?

Professor Eisenhauer: Our most significant accomplishments involve working with our students—many alumni have gone on to do great work and many have contributed to projects while on campus. We’ve improved infrastructure consistently over the past 20 years, including solar arrays on Hyde Hall and the PE Center, biomass heat in our Field House, and a geothermal, ground source heat pump that helps cool and heat the ice arena.

(PM): What distinguishes PSU’s programs?

Professor Eisenhauer: The Cluster Learning Model enables students to carve out their specialties. Both the new climate studies and sustainability majors were created specifically for the Cluster Learning system, to allow students to choose from among different disciplines to prepare for their careers. It’ll be exciting to see the programs grow and how students advance out of them.

(PM): What examples of student scholarship and activities inspire you?

Professor Eisenhauer: Students have come up with creative ways to reach out to the rest of the student body about sustainability issues, communicating through signage and activities and events. They’ve taken on gardening projects, redesign of lighting, water conservation, tree tours, and outreach campaigns. They’re achieving change on campus and then in their careers when they graduate.

(PM): What should college graduates know about sustainability?

Professor Eisenhauer: That it is truly an interdisciplinary endeavor, so the jobs and opportunities that are available are more diverse than people think. People often think of sustainability in terms of technology and electricity, but there are so many other aspects, from financial to marketing to communications. Sustainability is good for both people and the environment, so it’s increasingly part of jobs across the spectrum. A recent report showed that “green jobs” had grown at twice the rate of other jobs in the US.

(PM): What might we see at PSU in 2050?

Professor Eisenhauer: My “wish list” for the future includes an offsite solar array, offsite only because we don’t have the room for it onsite. We’re also hoping to make use of renewable gas in our campus heating plant by diverting the methane that landfills emit. It’s a waste to energy project with a huge carbon impact.

Author and environmental activist Edward Abbey said, “The function of an ideal is not to be realized but, like that of the North Star, to serve as a guiding point.” Our sustainability plans are distinguished by their pragmatism and their goal reaching—whatever we wind up doing we’ll make sure that they are practical, functional, and cost effective for our students.