The University of Oklahoma’s renowned Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, the longtime home to a distinguished engineering and geoscience tradition, is expanding its legacy with a new Sustainable Energy Systems (SES) certificate. This 15-credit-hour initiative is open to undergraduate and graduate students in nearly all majors.

Students complete core classes addressing the carbon cycle; climate change and environmental sustainability; fundamentals of energy; historical, societal and economic impacts of energy; as well as systems modeling, analysis and tradeoffs. Participants choose electives from many topic areas—including renewable technologies, infrastructure, communication, chemistry and even law—allowing them to customize a path that complements their degree and career goals. 

Heather Bedle, an expert in seismic analysis and machine learning with experience in the energy and defense sectors, is the inaugural SES director. She says the new program was designed to transcend traditional academic divisions, recognizing that energy challenges require integrated and transdisciplinary thinking. This perspective reflects an increased emphasis on interdisciplinary education found across OU’s three campuses.

“By valuing and igniting curiosity in both the technical and human dimensions of energy, we’re preparing students to address complex problems with the comprehensive understanding they need,” says Bedle, who also holds OU’s Lissa and Cy Wagner Professorship and an Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professorship.

This timely addition builds on OU’s longstanding leadership to equip students with a holistic understanding of technology, policy and cultural considerations. By uniting technical expertise and community engagement, the SES program will produce graduates ready to tackle pressing climate and energy challenges, bringing uniquely qualified professionals into Oklahoma’s workforce.

The program is supported by gifts to the Sustainable Energy Systems Fund at the OU Foundation. 

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