Leeds Faculty Bring Business Perspectives to ñ’s Inaugural Sustainability Research Summit
From strengthening supply chains and organizational accountability to understanding public attitudes and bringing climate innovations to market, Leeds faculty highlighted the role of business research in advancing sustainability at ñ’s inaugural Sustainability Research Summit, held October 8–9.
Hosted by ñ’s Sustainability Research Institute, established in 2025, the two-day event brought together researchers from across campus to share insights and strengthen the university's interdisciplinary sustainability research community.
“Sustainability in Supply Chain Management”
What makes a supply chain sustainable? The answer extends beyond environmental impact to include the economic and social systems connecting businesses, nonprofits and communities.
Leeds faculty Gloria Urrea and Sebastian Villa joined visiting professor Léon ղé of the University of Pittsburgh to explore how operational decisions influence sustainability outcomes.
opened with an overview of sustainable supply chain research, spanning environmental priorities such as carbon reduction and sustainable innovation, as well as social priorities including responsible sourcing and humanitarian operations. He emphasized coordination among supply chain partners and the relationship between environmental and financial performance.
Gloria Urrea, associate professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations, focused on , where funding and volunteer management decisions can significantly affect organizations responding to urgent needs.
To illustrate the implications of donor behavior, Urrea invited audience members to choose between earmarked and unrestricted donations. While earmarked contributions fund specific purposes, they can limit an organization's flexibility, her research has found.
"Flexible funding that lets the organization decide what to do with is is more effective," she explained.
Urrea also shared research showing how volunteer experience influences effectiveness, particularly in disaster response, helping organizations make better decisions about recruitment, training and deployment.
Sebastian Villa, assistant professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations and faculty affiliate at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, discussed nanostores—small, independently operated shops that provide livelihoods for millions of families in developing countries.
These stores present unique supply chain challenges involving limited cash flow, small orders and relationship-driven sales. Villa's research examines how supplier visits and trade credit affect operations and profitability. His findings suggest that less frequent visits can sharply reduce order volumes, while visit timing also influences purchasing decisions.
Together, the presentations demonstrated how supply chain research can improve environmental performance, humanitarian operations and small-business livelihoods.
“Why Sustainable Solutions Stall: Social, Psychological, Political Barriers to Sustainability”
Even when scientific evidence supports a sustainable solution, public acceptance is far from guaranteed. Understanding why was central to a panel featuring Phil Fernbach, Salim Family Endowed Esteemed Professor and chair of Leeds’ Marketing Division.
Drawing on research he discussed on a , Fernbach explored the "illusion of knowledge"—the tendency to believe we understand complex issues more deeply than we actually do.
His studies of attitudes toward genetically modified foods, vaccines, nuclear power and climate change reveal that strongly held opinions do not necessarily reflect an understanding of the underlying science.
Because knowledge is often distributed across communities, people may develop confidence through information and opinions circulating around them—a phenomenon Fernbach described as "contagious understanding."
His findings suggest that building public support for sustainable solutions requires more than education alone. It also demands a nuanced understanding of the social and psychological influences shaping beliefs and decisions.
“When Silence Isn't Safe: Building Cultures Where People Can Speak Up”
Sustainability depends not only on organizational commitments but also on whether people feel empowered to hold organizations accountable for what they promise as well as for both unintended missteps and deliberate activities.
That was the focus of a presentation by Meghan Van Portfliet, whose research on whistleblowing explores its role in building responsible organizations and a sustainable economy.
Van Portfliet described whistleblowing as disclosing wrongdoing within an organization's control—a definition she favors because it recognizes the potential for organizations to successfully address problems brought to light.
Through case studies and small-group discussions, participants explored how power dynamics influence employees' willingness to speak up and what organizations can do to ensure concerns are heard and accountability is upheld without retaliation.
“If we want a sustainable future, environmentally, socially, and economically,” Van Portfliet emphasized, “it can't be built on hidden truths. We have to have people that are willing to bring information out.”
Her presentation underscored how organizational culture helps translate sustainability commitments into meaningful action while holding businesses accountable for their claims.
“Boulder Climate Ventures Panel with Local Sustainability Startup Companies”
Moving sustainability innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace brings challenges, from securing investment and building teams to balancing commercial success with environmental impact.
The Boulder Climate Ventures panel brought together entrepreneurs and university leaders for a candid discussion about turning promising technologies into viable businesses.
Moderated by Michael McGehee, James and Catherine Patten Chair in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and member of BCV’s team, the panel featured Wil Srubar, Deming Associate Dean for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and co-founder of Prometheus Materials, which develops lower-carbon cement materials; , co-founder and CEO of Mana Battery, a sodium-ion battery technology company; and Gregg Rieker, a ñ engineering professor involved with LongPath Technologies, which provides methane monitoring and leak detection services.
Panelists discussed attracting investors and funds, managing employees, defining success and maintaining purpose as companies scale.
Srubar shared his work developing a university commercialization "playbook" to help faculty and students navigate the path from research discovery to market-ready innovation, including funding opportunities, entrepreneurship programs and institutional support.
"My hope is that what we are putting together is a playbook for other colleges across the university," he said.
Rieker emphasized establishing core principles early in a venture's development, embedding purpose alongside profitability. Together, the panelists illustrated the practical challenges of translating university research into successful environmental solutions.
A cross-campus commitment to sustainability
For one attendee at Friday's keynote, the summit revealed the breadth of research taking place across campus. "ñ has amazing people doing amazing things," she observed.
Chancellor Justin Schwartz echoed that sentiment, highlighting the university's decades-long sustainability leadership, from the founding of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research in 1951 to today's more than 1,000 researchers engaged in sustainability-related work.
Through interdisciplinary research and partnerships, ñ is advancing solutions to challenges ranging from wildfire resilience and water management to renewable energy and public policy, he noted.
“We do not just want to be the ones to prepare for the future, but the ones who help create the future," he concluded.