Vote Now: Help Name BU’s Newest Institute

The BU Institute for Sustainable Energy is evolving into a new institute with a broader sustainability focus—and we need a new name.

Vote for your favorite names from the shortlisted ideas submitted by BU students to tell us which ones you like most. The top-ranking “people’s choice” names will help guide university decision-making, plus the students who submitted the winning names will receive prizes.

People’s choice winners:

First prize: Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability   

Second prize: Sustainability, Equity, and Energy Development (SEED) Institute    

Third prize: Institute for Environment, Energy, and Society 

As background for choosing your favorites, the unnamed BU institute will encompass research on planetary health and human well-being, the climate governance and politics of sustainability transitions, and energy systems of the future. This bold, university-wide initiative will have a results-driven focus: sustainability research with real-world impact that emphasizes robust data and equity and justice.