Utah Tech University

Climate Resilience + Sustainability

Integrating local knowledge and guidance with the most current research and information, this publicly accessible Center will provide a network and think tank to support mitigation strategies while becoming more resilient to the intensifying impacts from climate change.



NOTE: This Center has recently been approved and currently in development.
Thank you for your understanding.
Resources, Information, and Action coming soon!!


Resilience is a coping strategy, not a virtue.
Celebrating resilience without interrogating the challenges,
problems, and structural issues folks are routinely forced to confront
runs the risk of idealizing the capacity to suffer.”

Dr. Charisse Burden-Stell,
Wayne State University



About the Resource

We aim to be a central resource for Climate Resilience and Sustainability in Southern Utah.

The Climate Resilience and Sustainability resource network is critically necessary to bring people together to create solutions and support in the most significant challenge that we face. Solutions depend on opportunities for the community to connect, but there is no centralized resource that addresses climate change specific to our region.

With Utah Tech’s mission as a polytechnic university and a community partner, and aligned with the Human<->Tech interface, this center will engage the scientific, sociological, and economic areas to help understand the regional impacts of climate change while implementing more significant actions.

Campus Partners

Sustainability is a Campus initiative.

The Climate Resilience and Sustainability network on campus is critically necessary to bring people together to create solutions and support in the most significant challenge that we face.

Why Sustainability?

The region surrounding Utah Tech and southern Utah is at the heart of the climate change impact zone. This region is experiencing some of the greatest increase in temperatures and decrease in precipitation. In much of our region, average temperatures have already increased by 2° Celsius (4° Fahrenheit) over the last century, which is double the average rate of global temperature rise.

Regional and Community Partners

Sustainability and addressing Climate Change is a community initiative and a regional need.

To amplify the consequences of inaction, our region is also among the most vulnerable demographically and economically, including limited opportunities to diversify local economies that depend on highly climate-vulnerable industries (tourism, ranching/farming, and growth). Our region is not prepared to handle the severe outcome of prolonged heatwaves and a lack of resilience to the impacts.

Interested in Partnering?

Our Center is excited to partner with community organizations, individuals, UT campus faculty and staff, and students!
If you are interested in research, outreach, education, or events related to addressing climate change and adopting sustainable practices,
please contact us at climate@utahtech.edu

Quick Links

Meet the Team

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Rico Del Sesto, PhD

Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Email: rico.delsesto@utahtech.edu
Office: SET 426

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Vince Brown, JD

Assistant Professor, Political Science

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Erin O'Brien, PhD

Professor, Biological Sciences

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Alheli Pendleton

Intern, Climate Center

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Kaili Ruth

Intern, Citizens Climate Lobby


Events

Apr 21, 2023 Research Symposium 2023


UT Campus

More info


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Contact

Climate Support and Sustainability

Email: climate@utahtech.edu

Office: SET 403

Rico Del Sesto

Director

Email: rico.delsesto@utahtech.edu

Office: SET Building