The Concentration in Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary program which seeks to develop a comprehensive, informed, and coherent understanding of environmental problems that will serve students majoring in any discipline.
The program in Environmental Studies begins with the introductory seminar focusing on global environmental problems and proceeds through a selection of core requirements and electives from each of the humanities, natural sciences, and behavioral sciences. Many students elect to include studies abroad or internships in applied settings as a part of their concentration. Senior work concludes with a capstone seminar that typically involves interaction with government and community environmental agencies.
Natural Sciences
The discussion of wilderness preservation today often focuses on non-human benefits, such as the protection of biodiversity or wildlife habitat. A significant tradition of American thought and literature also emphasizes the benefits of wilderness and wilderness experience for human beings, including human spirituality, freedom, morality, self-reliance, and solitude. This seminar explores the works of leading American conservationists Henry Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Edward Abbey to understand the importance of wilderness in American thought and to assess its value for American society today.
This course is an interdisciplinary seminar on climate and climate change throughout the earth's history, including recent influences caused by humankind. The course will examine the operation of the climate system in the larger framework of planetary evolution and will explore evidence from the geologic record for climates of the past, such as ice ages. Using readings from the current scientific literature, it will investigate causes of climate change, both natural and anthropogenic, and will consider scenarios for future climate based on models incorporating alternative global development strategies.
Gary Deason (Coordinator)
Associate Professor of Religion, History, and Philosophy, 1977-1978, 1980-
Studies in science, technology, and environment
Robert Jacobel (Advisory Committee)
Professor of Physics, Paracollege Tutor,
1976-
Geophysics, ice and climate interactions
Daniel Hofrenning (Advisory Committee)
Associate Professor of Political Science,
1988-
Public policy, American politics
Rebecca Judge (Advisory Committee)
Associate Professor of Economics, 1987-
Environment, public policy
Kathleen Shea (Advisory Committee)
Associate Professor of Biology, 1985-
Ecology, environmental studies
Mark Allister
Associate Professor of English, 1986-
American literature, writing
Eugene B. Bakko
Professor of Biology, 1966-68, 1972-
Animal physiology, vertebrate biology
Paul R. Cabe
Assistant Professor of Biology, 1994-
B.S., College of William and Mary; Ph.D., Minnesota
Population genetics, environmental studies
Richard Dunning
Assistant Professor of History, 1988-90,
1993-
Geography
Frank W. Gery
Professor Emeritus of Economics, 1962-
Energy, money and banking
Walter (Terry) Hoops
Assistant Professor of Anthropology,
1990-
Cultural anthropology, war and peace studies, Latin America
Henry Kermott
Professor of Biology, Paracollege Tutor,
1977-79, 1981-
Vertebrate biology, animal behavior
Charles Taliaferro
Associate Professor of Philosophy,
1985-
Philosophy of religion, ethics
Charles Umbanhowar, Jr.
Assistant Professor of Biology, 1991-
Ecology, environmental studies