The Environmental Science and Design Research Institute fosters innovative, interdisciplinary research at the intersection of natural, human and built systems. Our mission is to generate new knowledge, develop practical solutions and create transformative designs that address pressing environmental challenges—locally, regionally and globally.
We champion research and creative activities grounded in scientific methods and design thinking. ESDRI brings together students, faculty and community partners to explore the complex relationships among biological, social, cultural and economic systems. These dynamics shape the availability of essential resources, support biodiversity and influence human health and well-being.
Students: The institute aims to build research skills in students, in order to cultivate well-rounded, critical thinking professionals. ESDRI recognizes the professional and personal importance of students having foundational research or creative experiences, professional skills, and environmental knowledge, which is facilitated through a variety of workshops, speakers, forums, special events, socials, one-on-one guidance, and more. The institute supports undergraduates through its Undergraduate Fellowship Program, in hopes of mentoring a new generation of scholars. ESDRI supports graduate students through its Graduate Student Awards. All students are encouraged to share their work at the ESDRI Research Showcase each Spring.
View Current ESDRI Fellows
Faculty: ESDRI provides many opportunities for faculty to advance their research and facilitates multidisciplinary collaborations, procuring intramural and extramural funding, and working with qualified student researchers. The institute engages a broad range of talented scientists, designers, and practitioners, spanning many academic disciplines, fields, and programs. The institute proudly hosts an annual Sustainability Forum, with an ever-evolving theme, which draws from KSU faculty, students, and many of our community partners.
Academic units represented within ESDRI include:
- Aeronautics and Engineering
- Architecture and Environmental Design
- Art
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Communication and Information
- Earth Sciences
- English
- Fashion
- Geography
- Peace and Conflict Studies
- Political Science
- Public Health
- Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
- Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
View ESDRI-affiliated Faculty Members
By empowering environmental research, the institute aims to foster change by drawing from robust, well-informed science and design or extrapolating on the research ourselves. ESDRI encourages students, faculty, and the greater community to understand and leverage the interacting geological, biological, human, economical, cultural, and social systems around us. These overlapping systems impact and regulate the availability of resources (e.g. pure water, clean air, and food), sustain diversity of life on Earth, promote well-being, and affect all of us in our daily life.
Connect with us
@esdri_ksu
www.linkedin.com/company/esdri
For Lauren Sigrist, a senior Environmental and Conservation Biology major, with a minor in Environmental Studies, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) supported by the Environmental Science and Design Research…
Through the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program this summer, supported by the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI), senior Zoology major & Music minor Allison Remick continued a…
As an Environmental Studies senior, Kiki Masters spent the summer looking underground. With mentorship from Tim Gallagher, PhD in the Department of Earth Sciences, Masters joined ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s Summer Undergraduate Research…
Senior Zoology major and ESDRI Fellow at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University, Jami Greb spent the summer studying wild songbirds. Under the guidance of Sangeet Lamichhaney, PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences, Greb participated in…
Gabby Adkins graduated from ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University in August 2025 with a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising. Prior to that, she spent the summer participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, working under the…
For Environmental Studies senior Adam Frymier, summer 2025 was all about growth - both in the lab and in his own skills as a researcher. Under the mentorship of Britta Bielak, Assistant Professor of Interior Design in ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì’s College…
The Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI) supports students through their undergraduate Fellows Program. In this program students across any major with interest in environmental science or design come…
A new project funded by the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI) Seed Grant is exploring the potential of mycelium-based composites (MBCs) as a sustainable solution for the built environment. Led by Britta…
In an inspiring initiative that blends education, environmental science, and community outreach, the Local Environment-Based Authentic Discovery (LEAD) project is transforming how students in Akron public schools engage with science…
Salvador Rivas Aceves, PhD, a Professor of Economics and Business at the University of Panamericana in Mexico, and Sarah Schmidt, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University, have been working on an impactful…
