Mar 28, 2024  
Catalogue 2023-2024 
    
Catalogue 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental Studies Program


Director: Kirsten Menking;

Steering Committee: Leonisa Ardizzone (Education), Pinar Baturb (Sociology), Lynn Christenson (Biology), Mary Ann Cunninghama (Geography), Yvonne Elet (Art), Katie Gemmill (English), Laura Haynesb (Earth Science), Myra Hugheyb (Biology), Denise Iris (Film), Alison Spodek Keimowitz (Chemistry), Kirsten Menking (Earth Science), Osman Nemli (Philosophy), Lizabeth Paravisini-Geberta (Hispanic Studies), Thomas Parker (French and Francophone Studies), Jeffrey Seidmanb (Philosophy);

Participating Faculty: Janet Andrews (Cognitive Science), April Beisaw (Anthropology), Stuart L. Belli (Chemistry), Christopher Bjorkab (Education), Susan Blickstein (Geography), Mario Cesareo (Hispanic Studies), Jonathan Chenette (Music), Zachary Cofran (Anthropology), Leroy Cooper (Biology), Andrew Davisonab (Political Science), Rebecca Edwardsb (History), John Elrick (Geography), David Esteban (Biology), Brian Godfrey (Geography), Katherine Hite (Political Science), Benjamin Ho (Economics), Jean Kane (English), Deon Knights (Earth Science and Environmental Studies), Timothy Lampasona (Biology), Jenny Magnes (Physics and Astronomy), Del Maticic (Greek and Roman Studies), Daniel Mendiolab (History), Himadeep Muppidi (Political Science), Leonard Nevarez (Sociology), Joseph Nevins (Geography), Samson Okoth Opondo (Political Science), Carolyn Palmerb (Psychology), Dianne Pater (Biology), José Períllan (Physics and Astronomy and Science, Technology and Society), Allison Puglisi (History), Margaret Ronsheim (Biology), Claire Sagan (Political Science), Jill Schneiderman (Earth Science), Jodi Schwarz (Biology), Ashanti Shih (History), Kathleen Susman (Biology), Justin Touchonb (Biology), Jeffrey R. Walkera (Earth Science), Yu Zhou (Geography).

a   On leave 2023/24, first semester

b   On leave 2023/24, second semester

ab On leave 2023/24

Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary program that involves the natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. It explores the relationships between people and the totality of their environments-natural, built, and social. As part of that exploration, environmental studies concerns itself with the description and analysis of natural systems; with interspecies and species-environment relationships and the institutions, policies and laws that affect those relationships; with aesthetic portrayals of nature and how these portrayals affect human perceptions and behavior toward it; and with ethical issues raised by the human presence in the environment. A component of the program is the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), whose mission is to broaden and enrich the Environmental Studies program by emphasizing and supporting fieldwork, research, and engagement in the community.

Students majoring in Environmental Studies are required to take courses offered by the program, a set of courses within a particular department, and other courses from across the curriculum of the college. Therefore, a student interested in the major should contact the program office to connect with a member of the faculty subcommittee during their first or sophomore year to plan a course of study. They will recommend ENST participating faculty with expertise in your area of interest to help structure a sequence of specific courses for your major. The steering committee approves each major’s program, and is concerned not only with the formal requirements but also with the inclusion of relevant environmental courses in the student’s chosen areas of study, interconnections among groups of courses, and adequate concentration in the methods of a discipline. Students are admitted to the program subject to the approval of their program of study by the steering committee. For additional information please consult the program website.

Research studies by Environmental Studies majors are supported by the Environmental Research Institute.

Environmental Studies is a major in which students concentrate in two disciplines or areas of focus (one in the natural sciences). Potential majors are encouraged to take additional introductory courses in the disciplines or areas where their focus may be.

Programs

Major

Correlate Sequences in Environmental Studies

Courses

Environmental Studies: I. Introductory

Environmental Studies: II. Intermediate

Environmental Studies: III. Advanced