Sarah Goodman’s work is at the heart of Georgia Tech’s mission. As a lecturer in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, she works to equip future engineers with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed, one material at a time. 

As a recipient of an Undergraduate Sustainability Education Innovation grant, Goodman received financial support to redesign MSE 2001 Principles and Applications of Engineering Materials using the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

These goals provide a blueprint for “peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” They tackle challenges like improving health and wellbeing, building sustainable communities, and fostering social and ecological resilience.

The Project

For Goodman, the course redesign was more than a short-term goal; it was a way for her to have a long-term impact on the world around her. Together with Lily Turaski, the course coordinator for MSE 2001, Goodman created assignments that challenged students to think critically about how the choices they make impact the planet.

“We wanted to highlight sustainability in our course in a way that didn't silo it in one or two topics, but allowed us to touch on sustainability throughout the entire semester, ” said Goodman. “Every engineer is going to be working with materials and of course they're going to be thinking ‘Does this have the mechanical properties I want, and the electrical properties I want, and does the cost make sense?’ But we also want to put sustainability and ethics into the front of everyone's mind as something that needs to be considered when you're doing a material selection.”

Thanks to the grant, Goodman was able to hire three undergraduate students to assist with the course redesign over the summer: Syona Gupta, Swayam Trivedi, and Laura Mae Killingsworth. “We spent a lot of time brainstorming! The topic of sustainability is so broad and there are so many great examples. Having not only my ideas and Lily’s ideas but also the ideas of three additional people on our team [helped us] think about what students would find interesting.”

Goodman noted that MSE 2001 can be formula heavy. By incorporating sustainability into the course, Goodman was able to create a personal connection that helped students become more excited about the work.

Design challenges were one of the ways Goodman brought sustainability to life for her students. One example involved asking the class to think about producing a cutting board for students. Because the designated audience was students, the materials needed to be inexpensive; however, Goodman also asked her class to avoid microplastics. 

Using a tool called Granta Ansys Edupack, students were able to identify sustainability metrics – for example, how much water is used to produce a material, or what happens to the material at the end of its life – for all different materials, and incorporate that knowledge into their decision-making. 

Over the summer, Goodman and her three student assistants conceptualized a “Sustainable Shark Tank” project where students created a product proposal tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Goodman challenged her students to think about the human condition: the people working in plants making the materials. “Are they being treated well? Where are we sourcing the material from, and are we taking into account the social and environmental factors involved?”

These projects increased classroom engagement and discussion. “I think a lot of students care very deeply about sustainability,” said Goodman. “For a lot of people that’s the reason they picked their major.”

Developing Global Leaders Who Improve the Human Condition

Goodman’s work embodies Tech’s mission to develop leaders who improve the human condition. “Materials Science is a really intuitive place to incorporate sustainability because everything is made out of a material. Somebody made a decision to [choose that material], and that decision has ramifications for the user of the material, the people making the material, and the people who live in the place where the raw materials are sourced. Our decisions have a global impact.” 

“In MSE, we have intentionally integrated sustainability into our core courses,” said Associate Chair Mary Lynn Realff. “Professor Goodman has expanded our reach to students outside the Materials Science & Engineering major through MSE 2001. Georgia Tech students care about sustainability and Professor Goodman helps the students see how to integrate sustainability into their engineering solutions in thoughtful and meaningful ways.”

Get Involved: Sustainable Development Goals in Action

During UN SDG Action and Awareness Week, higher education institutions promote awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and inspire faculty, staff, and students to further the goals on campus. 

Join Georgia Tech as we recognize SDG Week March 2nd-6th, 2026. The Center for Teaching and Learning offers two events related to sustainability education: a Climate Teach-In on March 3rd and a workshop on engaging students using real-world challenges on March 5th.