The name change to the Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences was finalized in November 2023 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, said Dr. David Lumley, department head and the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Chair in Geophysics. Sustainable Earth refers to the environmentally clean and responsible exploration and production of energy, minerals, water, food and other natural resources over time. “We must dramatically increase our research and education focus in sustainable Earth systems science to address the National Academies’ grand challenges that threaten our future survival,” he said. Lumley said the new name should help attract faculty, research funding, students and employers, which seek graduates with modern Earth-science skills. “This new name exemplifies the school’s growing interdisciplinary research on Earth systems and sustainable resources that will provide solutions to environmental challenges in Texas and beyond.