Yuan Yao
Associate Professor of Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Systems; Director of the Center for Industrial…
Industrial Ecology and Green Chemistry Specialization
Students gain an understanding of systems analysis applied to environmental problems in production-consumption systems, acquire methods to quantify the use of energy, materials, water, and land for industrial production, and the comparative evaluation of different pollution types. They learn about how organizations use these approaches in environmental management.
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The Specialization will prepare students for employment in corporate sustainability and environment, health and safety positions, in environmental consultancies and think-tanks, nongovernmental organizations, and governmental and multi-lateral agencies.
Note that a capstone course used to fulfill the MEM capstone requirement cannot also be used toward fulfilling an MEM Specialization requirement; a capstone course taken once cannot be used to fulfill multiple requirements. Learn more about YSE capstone courses by visiting the MEM Capstone page.
Program Courses
Core
Two required courses: ENV 771 and ENV 884. For Spring ’26 only, ENV 982 is serving as a temporary substitute for ENV 771. Starting in Spring ’27, ENV 771 will be offered again yearly, and ENV 982 will no longer be a core course option.| Course | Fall 2025 | Spring 2026 | Fall 2026 | Spring 2027 |
| ENV 771 Fundamentals of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry |
Anastas Tentative |
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| ENV 884 Industrial Ecology |
Piao Tu,Th 10:30-11:50 |
Yao Tentative |
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| ENV 982 Bio-inspired Design and Engineering |
Zimmerman M,W 1:00-2:15 |
Zimmerman |
Electives
Choose four elective courses.|
MGT 872 Managing Sustainable Operations |
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MGT 873 Supply Chain Management |
Learning Community
There is a corresponding “Learning Community” for each specialization, where anyone interested in the topic can find related news, spotlights, colleagues, and events.
Faculty Coordinator
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