In spring 2025, the Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI) started a mission to harness the collective expertise of CU Boulder’s diverse academic community to address pressing sustainability challenges. 

On Oct. 8–9, the SRI will host the inaugural CU Boulder Sustainability Research Summit, a two-day event highlighting the diversity and depth of sustainability research across campus. Free and open to the public, the summit aims to foster connections among researchers and external partners and share CU Boulder research with the Front Range community and beyond. 

The summit will create opportunities for students to see what researchers are working on and explore undergraduate research opportunities. CU Boulder researchers can identify potential interdisciplinary collaborations, while external partners can discover opportunities to work with CU Boulder on a variety of sustainability challenges. Investors can gain insight into what CU Boulder researchers are developing and what is in the pipeline, from discovery to implementation. 

“The Sustainability Research Summit will highlight the amazing work our researchers and students are doing and create a space for new synergies to emerge,” Jane Zelikova, executive director of SRI said. “Connecting CU Boulder’s world-class research capabilities with industry and public sector partners is also a priority.” 

The summit will provide space to hear from corporate, philanthropic, state and federal partners and will explore partnerships to leverage CU Boulder’s research expertise and advance sustainability in practice. 

“As we continue to navigate the pressing challenges of climate change and environmental stewardship, this summit is an exciting opportunity to connect like-minded researchers and partners to foster innovative solutions, inspire bold action and continue to lead the way in sustainability practices locally and globally,” said Andrew Mayock, vice chancellor for sustainability at CU Boulder. “CU Boulder is world-renowned for our outstanding research in climate science, and this summit will be a chance to showcase that work and allow for the kind of collaboration that translates academic research into real-world impact.” 

CU Boulder has long been recognized for its leadership in Earth and climate science, engineering, business and sustainability research more broadly, including a ranking in the top 10 for institutions participating in climate science research. Building on that foundation, the Sustainability Research Summit is expected to become a landmark event at the university, advancing CU Boulder’s leadership in sustainability. 

The full agenda is now available and features keynote addresses by Cassandra Brooks and Chris Winters, along with remarks from Chancellor Justin Schwartz and more.