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Group of diverse students chatting while walking on the Columbia University campus.

STUDENT COMMUNITY

The M.S. in Sustainability Management program’s students represent a cross-section of the industries and organizations currently incorporating sustainable initiatives into their day-to-day operations as well as those who are looking to make a career switch. The program’s students are dedicated not only to mastering the theory and science of sustainability, they are passionate about putting their education into practice.

Students chatting while sitting on the steps of Low Memorial Library.
Female student smiles and chats with peers while sitting in the grass on Columbia's campus.

Student Groups

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Sustainability Management Student Association (SUMASA)

The Sustainability Management Student Association (SUMASA) is a student organization elected to represent the student body of the Columbia University M.S. in Sustainability Management program.

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Build It Green (BIG)

A group of graduate students at Columbia University advocating for sustainability in the built environment.

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Columbia Sustainable Finance Professionals Network (CSFPN)

Columbia Sustainable Finance Professionals Network (CSFPN) is an association of experienced finance professionals with an interest in Sustainable Finance and Investing.

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Fellow and Scholar Spotlights

9/12/25

Rooted in Community, Rising in Purpose

Lailah Hall is a Columbia HBCU Fellow and recent graduate of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (SUMA) program. As a 2024 graduate of Florida A&M University (FAMU), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Lailah earned her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and left a remarkable legacy of community engagement and leadership.

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6/1/25

Casey Adams | Columbia HBCU Fellow 2023 | Spelman College

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6/1/25

Reagan Russell | Columbia HBCU Fellow 2025 | Howard University

Reagan Russell is a recent graduate from Howard University, where she majored in environmental studies and minored in English. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in Sustainability Management at Columbia University, where she has been selected as a 2025 HBCU fellow. Her passion for sustainability is focused on environmental justice initiatives in low-income and minority communities. Her past internships are vast and span both the government and nonprofit sectors. She has worked at Appalachian Voices, a local environmental justice nonprofit; USAFacts, an organization focused on making government data more accessible; and the Solar Energy Industries Association, a national trade association. Most recently, she has authored a research paper exploring how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Act can be leveraged to create opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals in the emerging green energy workforce. Reagan was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas, and she credits her upbringing for instilling in her a justice-oriented outlook on environmental issues.

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Student Spotlights

Immanuel Deo portrait

6/18/25

Stepping Beyond Our Comfort Zones to Make a Difference

Immanuel Deo, a student in the SUMA program, was recently honored with the Leadership and Community Stewardship Award. Originally from Indonesia, his passion for sustainability is shaped by the environmental and social challenges of his home country.

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Benedicto Anggita Prayoga Saragih portrait

5/14/25

Bridging Continents for Climate Action

Benedicto Anggita Prayoga Saragih, known as Baps to friends, is in his final semester of the SUMA program. Originally from Indonesia, he holds a bachelor’s in environmental engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology and has worked as both a field engineer and a commercial banker. Last fall, he presented research on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) at the Indonesian International Sustainability Forum, highlighting its role in Indonesia’s decarbonization efforts.

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Gerardo Rios Garcia in front of Low Memorial Library.

1/16/25

Van Life in NYC: A Sustainability Management Student’s Unique Living Experience

Gerardo Rios Garcia is an international student from Mexico City, Mexico, he highlights how he combined his love for travel with practicality when converting a van into his new home in New York City. Garcia also details how his academic and professional experience have shaped his outlook on his future career in sustainability.

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Students in front of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

1/7/25

Student Spotlight: A Journey of Peace, Sustainability, and Learning in Hiroshima

Ellie Hislop, Final Semester Sustainability Management Master’s Candidate, School of Professional Studies highlights the academic and personal growth found whilst participating in the Clinic on Conflict and Collaboration in Natural Resource Management: Advancing Positive Peace and the SDGs. An intensive two-week program hosted in Japan by Hiroshima University in partnership with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Hislop details how the trip taught her no matter the scale, the work on sustainability starts with action.

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Gerardo Rios Garcia portrait

12/3/24

This Grad Student Is Taking His Own Advice: 'Work Hard, Dream Big, and Be Ready'

Gerardo Rios Garcia is an international student from Mexico City, Mexico, he is a final semester Sustainability Management student in Columbia School of Professional Studies. Garcia highlights in the article how he maximized his time as a Columbia graduate student in and out of class. He details initial attractions to sustainability, city recommendations, post graduate plans and much more!

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