About the ESE Institute

Learn more about our remarkable faculty, our growing undergraduate program, student organizations, scholarships and much more. View our Environmental Studies Fact Sheet.

Our Mission

The mission of the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy (ESE) is to foster interdisciplinary research, education, and community engagement to promote understanding of the environment and the development of creative and effective solutions to environmental and sustainability issues. The ESE integrates perspectives and methods from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, technology, and engineering. The B.A./B.S. degree program is unique in Illinois in its breadth of learning and engagement opportunities for students and will provide the region and the nation with graduates prepared to take on the diverse suite of important challenges that exist in environmental quality, energy, and sustainability. Our graduates will provide needed expertise to industry, government, NGOs, and academic research.

The Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy is a collaborative program with faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, and the College of Law. Other Colleges at NIU are joining the collaborative efforts, such as the School of Art and the College of Health and Human Sciences, through team-taught courses and research programs.

Thomas Skuzinski, JD, MURP, PhD., Director, at ENVS@niu.edu or call 815-753-6563.