For the second consecutive year, the University of Maryland tied for first place in the Research category of the annual Sustainable Campus Index (SCI), published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The index draws from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a comprehensive report that benchmarks higher education institutions on their performance across academics, operations, and engagement.
The SCI’s Research category celebrates institutions conducting responsible, forward-thinking innovation that drives sustainability solutions. UMD’s top spot reflects the high-impact work happening across its rich network of centers and institutes, including the Center for Global Sustainability and the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute. Collectively, UMD’s researchers are shaping international climate policy, engineering breakthrough technologies for the clean energy transition, and strengthening climate resilience both on campus and across the state.
This spirit of discovery reaches nearly every corner of the College Park campus, with more than 90% of academic departments actively engaging in sustainability research. In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, faculty are pioneering solutions to decarbonize fuels and reduce emissions. Meanwhile, in the Department of Kinesiology, researchers at the Wekesa Earth Center are investigating how access to green space directly shapes human health and well-being.
Universities are uniquely positioned to tackle these types of grand challenges, and UMD is leading the charge. By advancing knowledge and innovation across diverse disciplines, UMD continues to show how university research can drive real progress for people and the planet.