Moving engagement out of the ‘service’ box: A sustainability research and teaching agenda for the 21st century

Sustainability science is transdisciplinary, requiring scientists and community partners to conduct research in partnership. At research universities, there is tension between the publicly-engaged research stance needed for sustainability science, and the mandate for faculty to produce output as rapidly as possible. A sustainability science agenda requires us to look for synergies across research, teaching and engagement missions, rather than viewing them as being in competition. I will give an example of ongoing research on the sustainability of the urban food system in Flint, Michigan, representing a collaboration between Michigan State University and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.