Columbia University in the City of New York – North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

A hilltop overview as the department of Earth and Environmental Studies at Columbia University embark on a fossil hunt in Newark Basin. Image credit: Daniel Blake Nothaft.

Columbia University is one of the world’s most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the University to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world. Columbia’s Earth Institute blends research in the physical and social sciences, education and practical solutions to help guide the world onto a path toward sustainability. Columbia University joined the NAC CESU in 2009.