With the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy, UMass Lowell is combining scientific research with community action.

Workers inside wind turbine

The Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy is the university’s center for hands-on research on sustainability, climate change and renewable energy. Our goal is to create blueprints for human scale sustainability in communities throughout our region and across the world.

A Hub for Sustainability Research and Innovation

The Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy brings together the university’s extensive research enterprise, more than 85 faculty members and our dedicated students to power the next generation – and every generation to follow. 

We serve as the epicenter for UMass Lowell’s sustainability efforts, with an emphasis on: 

Juliette Rooney-Varga and Chancellor Jacquie Moloney with students

Tackling Climate Change Through Action

The Climate Change Initiative is an award-winning research center that addresses climate change through research, academic programs and community outreach. CCI draws on a diverse and multidisciplinary coalition of more than 30 faculty members in such areas as engineering, health sciences, arts, political science and business.

Three men in white lab coats work in lab

Sustainable Energy Research Partnerships

For more than 40 years, UMass Lowell has been a leader in wind, solar and nuclear energy – as well as energy storage and next-generation fuel systems. By partnering with industry, we have developed a model for addressing energy challenges through research collaborations. Companies can work side-by-side with our renowned faculty and talented students to develop tomorrow’s clean energy solutions.

Students install irrigation system in rooftop garden

Urban Sustainability for the 21st Century

Founded more than 125 years ago in the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, UMass Lowell is sparking a new revolution in urban sustainability. Our campus serves as a living lab, where sustainability research becomes reality. The Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy partners with the university’s Office of Sustainability to support a wide range of initiatives that make a real impact on our community and students.

UMass Lowell Sustainability at a Glance

  • #1

    among Massachusetts colleges and universities for sustainability (AASHE)

  • $37.5M+

    in research funding since 2019

  • 140+

    community and corporate partners

  • 24

    on Sierra Club's "Cool Schools" List

Steve Rogers, Brian Rist and Ruairi O'Mahony in the Rist greenhouse
Founded in 2019 through a $1 million gift from philanthropists Brian ’77 and Kim Rist, the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy is committed to finding practical, evidence-based solutions that can transform the cities we live in, the energy we use and the planet we inhabit. We also sponsor faculty and student sustainability-related research projects with a Fellowship Program and Climate Mitigation Awards.

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  • A sign next to a freshly made pizza lists ingredients and indicates that it is local and sustainable.

    Eat Local in the University Dining Halls

    With a new sustainability coordinator, the dining halls are incorporating more local produce and hosting sustainability-related events.
    Featured Story
  • A person with dark hair in a wool coat looks at a piece of wood in a wood shop.

    Business Alum Branches Out to a New Career

    Business alum Sean Harrington ’97, an All-American wrestler at UMass Lowell, has started Wolf Tree Wood, which sells one-of-a-kind wood slabs that can be used for custom furniture.
    Featured Story
  • A person hands a certificate to another person in a room.

    Entrepreneurs Earn Green at Clean Green Challenge

    Six sustainability-focused entrepreneurs and startups from across the region competed in the third annual Clean Green Challenge at the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub.