We are passionate about incorporating sustainability practices into every aspect of
campus life. Through our academics, student involvement, and campus initiatives, we
are making great strides towards reducing our environmental footprint.
Sustainable Engineering Minor
Environmental Engineering Minor
Environmental Science Minor
Renewable Energy Minor (beginning in Fall 2020)
Green and Sustainable Chemistry Master's Program (beginning in Fall 2020)
Green Initiatives
At South Dakota Mines, we are creating a healthier environment today and richer possibilities
for tomorrow through our dining services, residence life, renewable energy generation,
student projects, research centers, sustainability courses, and purchasing choices.
Our reusable to go container program in the Hardrocker Café allows our guests to take
their meal on the go to meet the needs of their busy schedules. This not only is a
great service for our guests, it reduces the amount of disposable product usage.
We minimize our waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling and we minimize our footprint
through our waste reduction efforts. Across our operations, we have established practices
from initial purchase to final waste disposal that decrease the overall cost of waste
both environmentally and financially. We utilize a system called Lean Path to track
our kitchen waste and then all food is separated and saved for local farmers to pick
up to feed their various animals.
We recycle items from the kitchen including cardboard, cans, plastic and fryer oil.
We procure environmentally minded products for our disposables in catering and retail
as much as feasible.
We focus on plant forward menu items throughout our operations.
We have introduced the utilization of iPads for electronic production packets which
reduces our printing by 2 cases of paper per month.
Residence Life is dedicated to reducing its environmental footprint through efficient
building planning and management. Palmerton and Connolly Halls were recently certified
LEED Gold. Xeriscape projects around Palmerton, Connolly, and Peterson Halls requires
no irrigation and all plantings are native to South Dakota. New energy efficient boilers,
including a new digitally managed boiler in Palmerton and Connolly, reduce energy
consumption in the residence halls. The installation of covered bike shelters and
bike repair stations encourage bicycle usage.
Overlooking campus is a newly repaired 20 kW Redriven Wind Turbine. The turbine was
originally funded by Black Hills Energy and was repaired by GenPro Energy Solutions
in Piedmont, SD. Not only does the turbine provide power to campus, but it has also
served as a valuable design project for many students. Adjacent to the wind turbine
are three 190 W solar panels. Additionally, solar panels are installed near the Foundry
on the East side of campus.
Center for Green Solid-State Electric Power Generation and Storage (CEPS)
CEPS vision and mission is to become a center of excellence in developing eco-friendly,
safe, and economically feasible all-solid-state energy storage technology for portable
and medical applications, automotive industry, centralized and decentralized electric
grids, military applications, and energy security. Learn more.
Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing (CNAM) - Biomaterials Center
The overall goals of the CNAM-Bio Center are to synthesize low cost biodegradable
biopolymers from renewable sources (such as agricultural waste biomass and methane)
using polymer-producing microbes and extremophilic bioprocessing; and to develop commercially
viable processes to transform these materials into valuable biopolymer and biocomposite
products. Learn more.
Enroll in a sustainability-related course!
- CHEM 462/562: Green Chemistry and Processes
- AES/BIOL 406/506: Global Environmental Change
- CBE 455 & CBE/CEE555: Pollution Phenomena and Process Design
- CBE 485: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
- CEE 325: Introduction to Sustainable Engineering
- CEE 425/525: Sustainable Engineering
- CEE 428/528: Oil and Gas Development and the Environment
- ME 460: Fuels & Combustion
- MEM 120: Introduction to Mining, Sustainable Development, and Safety
- POLS 407: Environmental Law & Policy
- HIST 492: Environmental History of the US
- HUM 250: Environmental Ethics and STEM
Visit our Online Catalog for more information on these courses.
South Dakota Mines purchases from contracts setup by the Office of Procurement Management
(OPM) in Pierre, SD. OPM has awarded a number of contracts that have “green/recycled/eco-friendly”
items which our campus is able to purchase through SDezBuy (purchase order system).
Examples of these contracts: Staples (Janitorial & Cleaning), Grainger and Fastenal
(Maintenance, Repair, Operating Supplies), and Heartland and Cole (recycled paper),
all offer “green” items. The Staples contract has over 1,600 items that are considered
Eco-Conscious/Recycled. Also, all of these contracts have programs to decrease materials
and eliminate waste when shipping their items.
Get Involved
Our commitment to a sustainable future isn't confined to the classroom. See how to
get involved:
Campus Updates
Our campus has revitalized it efforts in reducing its environmental impact over the
past several years. Below, you will find a list of the most recent efforts.
Faculty Research
Our faculty conduct research on a wide range of sustainable content.
Sustainability Committee
The South Dakota Mines Sustainability Committee regrouped in the Spring of 2019. We
are committed to reducing the school's environmental footprint.
For questions or suggestions, contact:
Ilke Celik
Assistant Professor
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Ilke.Celik@sdsmt.edu