The aviation industry has set ambitious goals of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a roadmap that includes improved flight operations and new aircraft powered by batteries, fuel cells, and biofuels. A limited understanding of these emerging technologies, however, has plagued their integration into propulsion architectures. Additionally, many implications stemming from the introduction of entire fleets of these aircraft on grid-energy infrastructure as well as communities below have yet to be thoroughly distilled. Founded by Prof. Matthew Clarke in 2023, the Laboratory for Electric Aircraft Design and Sustainability (L.E.A.D.S) explores the interaction between aircraft and the environment through detailed computational modeling of energy systems and vehicle noise. By quantifying the uncertainties and sensitivities of such complex systems, L.E.A.D.S. is not only strategically positioned to tackle technical challenges that spur out of the interactions between the critical domains of energy and noise, but to address the environmental and socioeconomic implications that impede progress toward sustainable aviation.