Global Change & Sustainability Center

In the western United States, most of our cities are situated in arid landscapes–dryland ecosystems or deserts.  Historically, dry landscapes have been viewed as wastelands, lacking value until we created a use for them. Most humans now live in cities, and dryland ecosystems are currently home to over 2 billion people worldwide. Like any other organism, […]

In early March 2020, Kerry Case will take the helm to lead sustainability efforts at the University of Utah. The U was successful in recruiting Case from Westminster College, where she has served for 13 years as Director of the Environmental Center, developing and implementing sustainability initiatives at the college. Ms. Case also served as […]

Utah’s iconic red rock arches have been formed over millennia by geologic movement, erosion, and gravity. But these formations are not static, and environmental forces continue to affect these natural wonders. Dr. Jeff Moore, Associate Professor, Geology and Geophysics, heads the Geohazards Research Group, which seeks to understand how arches respond to changes in their […]

The University of Utah joins the most prestigious universities on the continent as a member of the Association of American Universities. Membership in AAU is by invitation only and is based on an extensive set of quantitative indicators and qualitative judgments that assess the breadth and quality of a university’s research, graduate, and undergraduate education programs. […]

An interdisciplinary cohort of GCSC faculty joined government researchers and community partners over Fall Break for a week-long trip down the Colorado River to explore environmental change in Cataract Canyon.  It was an exceptional immersive week integrating geology, hydrology, ecology, art, philosophy, history, policy, education, recreation, and more in Utah’s spectacular wilderness redrock river landscape. […]