Catalogue 2026-2027
Environmental Studies Program
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Director: Alison Spodek Keimowitz (Fall 2026); Thomas Parker (Spring 2027);
Steering Committee: Leonisa Ardizzone (Education), Pinar Batur (Sociology), Mary Ann Cunninghama (Geography), Laura Haynes (Earth Science), Myra Hughey (Biology), Denise Iris (Film), Alison Spodek Keimowitz (Chemistry), Deon Knights (Earth Science and Environmental Studies), Kirsten Menking (Earth Science), Osman Nemli (Philosophy), Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebertab (Hispanic Studies), Thomas Parker (French and Francophone Studies), Margaret Ronsheim (Biology), Jeffrey Seidman (Philosophy);
Participating Faculty: April Beisaw (Anthropology), Susan Blickstein (Geography), Mario Cesareo (Hispanic Studies), Lynn Christenson (Biology), Andrew Davison (Political Science), Yvonne Elet (Art), John Elrick (Geography), Benjamin Ho (Economics), Jean Kane (English), Arpitha Kodiveri (Political Science), Timothy Lampasona (Biology), Montserrat Madariaga-Caro (Hispanic Studies), Jenny Magnesab (Physics and Astronomy), Daniel Mendiola (History), Himadeep Muppidiab (Political Science), Leonard Nevarez (Sociology), Joseph Nevins (Geography), Carolyn Palmer (Psychology), Dianne Pater (Biology), José Períllan (Physics and Astronomy and Science, Technology and Society), Claire Sagan (Political Science), Jill Schneiderman (Earth Science), Jodi Schwarz (Biology), Ashanti Shih (History), Kathleen Susman (Biology), Justin Touchon (Biology), Yu Zhou (Geography).
a On leave 2026/27, first semester
b On leave 2026/27, second semester
ab On leave 2026/27
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.
Major
Correlate Sequences in Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies: I. Introductory
Environmental Studies: II. Intermediate
Environmental Studies: III. Advanced
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