The Sustainable Materials and Product Design Initiative at the University of California, Santa Barbara, conducts interdisciplinary research on the extraction and manufacturing of fuels and chemical components, as well as their end-of-life impacts. Our researchers create new chemical manufacturing processes and redesign existing ones, assess their potential environmental impact and economic viability, and investigate societal and organizational readiness to adopt these new technologies. Our team includes chemists, chemical engineers, materials scientists, environmental scientists, and social scientists working collaboratively to improve the efficiency, reduce the environmental impacts, and accelerate the adoption of alternative sustainable materials and products.

In 2014, UC Santa Barbara established the Mellichamp Academic Initiative in Sustainability with a generous private donation. Four endowed research Chairs with complementary expertise in green chemistry, catalytic processing, sustainable manufacturing, and systems analysis, were established to co-lead the Initiative.