UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business launched today (April 22) a new website, "Major Sustainability," a place where business students can discover how their major contributes to sustainability. 

For four years, a team of Penn State Smeal faculty members and students worked to define what business students need to learn about sustainability. In the process, they hope to define a new standard for business education globally. 

“The current climate has shed a light on the importance of social responsibility, including sustainability, in business,” said Erik Foley, director of the Penn State Smeal Center for the Business of Sustainability. “The hope is that this groundbreaking work serves as inspiration for other business schools to integrate sustainability across all disciplines.” 

The site is primarily for business students. In the future, the site is envisioned as a resource for faculty as well. 

Three types of students at different points in their college career will make use of the site: 

• Pathfinders are first- and second-year students who want to choose their business majors based on the impact that choice can have on the world.
• Researchers are second- and third-year students who are seeking interesting research questions to explore in their various classes and honors programs.
• Job Seekers are fourth- and fifth-year students, as well as alumni, who are looking for jobs that contribute directly to positive social and environmental outcomes (jobs that have “sustainability” in their titles) or jobs that contribute indirectly.

“Our Major Sustainability site offers business students a progressive lens through which to view fundamentals of business operations in such a pivotal time in history. Students can equip themselves as informed change-agents leading towards a more conscious, inclusive and sustainable future,” said Danielle Yzaguirre, a 2017 supply chain and information systems graduate who is now a self-development and leadership coach.

Yzaguirre was the first student to contribute to the Major Sustainability project and developed the supply chain and information systems page. 

The website offers resources, including concepts, courses and careers, for Smeal students, faculty, staff and business leaders about sustainability in business. All Smeal majors are featured on the site.