Institute for Sustainability and Circular Economy
Welcome to the Institute for Sustainability and Circular Economy (ISCE), where innovation turns challenges into opportunities.
At ISCE, we develop technologies and solutions that transform waste into valuable resources, strengthen resource security, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Our work brings together researchers, students, and partners across disciplines to tackle complex challenges through an engineered-systems approach.
As a university-wide platform at Texas Tech University, ISCE connects academic units, research centers, and programs working at the intersection of engineering, agriculture, environmental science, policy, and beyond. By bringing diverse expertise together, we create new pathways for discovery, collaboration, and real-world impact.
Our multidisciplinary research spans nanotechnology, electrochemical science, data science, modular systems, advanced synthesis, and separations. These technologies are designed with the realities of implementation in mind—addressing economic pressures, logistics, regulatory and safety requirements, and public and industry acceptance.
ISCE is building more than technologies. We are building the workforce to advance them. Through hands-on research and interdisciplinary training, we prepare the next generation of engineers, scientists, and technical professionals to solve complex problems and move the circular economy forward.
Headquartered in the Maddox Engineering Research Center, ISCE draws expertise from across Texas Tech, with researchers, laboratories, and facilities spanning disciplines from Chemical Engineering and Plant & Soil Science to the Center for Water Law & Policy.
Together, we are rethinking how resources are produced, used, recovered, and valued—and creating a future where waste becomes an opportunity.