Geography and the Environment

Peering-mentoring for Freshmen Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, and Geography Majors.

Peer-mentoring for Sophomore Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, and Geography Majors.

The human and physical realms of Geography. Focus on current geographic problems facing specific regions of the world.

World climates, water, landforms, soil, and vegetation form the basis of this global environmental approach.

Spatial patterns of global and regional climate systems. Natural and anthropogenic factors that cause climate change. Understanding human-climate system interaction.

Examination of the complex relationships between geography, climate change, political instability, and violent conflict.

Multidisciplinary foundation in Environmental Science; first of two semester course. Science course linking environmental biology, chemistry, earth sciences, and climate change. Collection of data from lab experiments and field-based observations.

Second of two course sequence. Multidisciplinary foundation in Environmental Science: natural resources, pollution, & energy, with related field trips & laboratory sessions.

Multidisciplinary foundation in Environmental Science; first of two semester course. Science course linking environmental biology, chemistry, earth sciences, and climate change.

Overview of fundamental environmental topics, including themes in energy, pollution, and resources.

Principles and applications of geographic technologies and field techniques with emphasis on: field surveys, cartography, global positioning systems, aerial photography, satellite imagery & remote sensing, computer-aided cartography, digital elevation models & geographic information systems.

Professional development in the fields of geography, environmental studies, and environmental science.

Interdisciplinary approach to chemical and biochemical phenomena. Sources, reactions, transport, effects, and fates of chemical species in the air, soil, and water environments, and their effect on human activity.

Physics in the environment with focus on the atmosphere, soil, water, and watersheds.

Geographic research methods to address spatial implications of current local issues. Relationships between global environmental & societal processes & local landscapes. Collection, evaluation, analysis & presentation of qualitative & quantitative geographic data.

Geographic dimensions of global population trends, emphasizing global demographic divides. Considers population processes (mortality, fertility, migration), population structures (age, gender, ethnicity), and population policy. Special topics may include population and the environment, food supply, and HIV-AIDS.

Independent study under the direction of faculty member of selected topics in geography, environmental studies, and environmental science. Instructor Permission Required

Internship for credit.

Internship for credit.

Contemporary topics in Geography and Environmental Science. Topics will be announced on a semester-by-semester basis. Specific information will be available on the department's web page.

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Social, engineering, and economic dimensions, which make up the sustainability model.

Patterns of environmental inequality that affect health and quality of life. Relationship between environmental harms and benefits and different groups in society. Case studies explore fundamental aspects of environmental justice.

Statistical methods and application. An introduction to statistical concepts, techniques, and applications to data analysis and to problems in the design, analysis, and interpretation of experiments in the environmental sciences.

Analysis of emerging and established alternative energies, incl. wind, solar, biofuel, and hydropower.

Health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control of the major environmental health problems in industrialized and developing countries.

Lecture course taken through the International Studies Program.

Physical and human geography of North America from a regional perspective. Key geographic concepts of site, situation, and the interaction between society and the environment for each region.

Review and analyze sustainability issues faced by cities. Learn GIS applications related to urban sustainability

Survey of the geography of the Middle East including its physical geography, environmental issues, urban-economic, its development, cultural geography, historical evolution, and the spatial patterns of its human landscapes. Special emphasis on strategic importance in globalizing world.

Processes determining physical risk, societal vulnerability, and response to major hazards including: blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, flooding, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, avalanches, and wildfires.

Land use planning and management with focus on land-law interfaces between the physical, cultural and legal realms. Survey of natural and political systems as the basis for land use controls at the federal and regional levels.

Assessment of natural resource and conservation issues in the U.S. and around the world. Distribution and use patterns of air, water, mineral, energy, and biologic resources. Examination of exploitation, conservation, and preservation management strategies.

Individual projects or studies in geography and the environment.

Lecture course taken through the International Studies Program.

Lecture course in regional geography taken through the International Studies Program.

Lecture course in geospatial technology taken through the International Studies Program.

Data collection and analysis with high-technology platforms such as conventional and color infrared photography, multi- spectral scanners, satellite imagery, thermal infrared, LIDAR, and radar. Application of remotely sensed data to solve complex, human, environmental, and engineering problems.

Application of geospatial techniques to solve a variety of environmentally related issues such as: watershed contamination, coastal erosion, natural hazard impacts, deforestation, urban sprawl, and climate change.

Second in a two-course sequence. An in-depth exploration of the social, engineering, and economic dimensions of sustainability through field trips, guest lectures, and service learning.

Selected topics of interest in environmental science and geography. Offered on three or four Saturday mornings or on weekday evenings. Topics will be announced on a semester-by-semester basis.

Selected topics of interest in the environmental and geospatial sciences. Offered on three or four Saturday mornings or on weekday evenings. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis.

Selected topics of interest in environmental policy and management. Offered on three or four Saturday mornings or on weekday evenings. Topics will be announced on a semester-by-semester basis.

Interdisciplinary coverage of current global environmental issues, emphasizing their complexity, analyses, and solutions.

Advanced laboratory science topics in the Environment presented by senior faculty. Specific subject matter will vary with the expertise of the professor.

Investigation of the biological, geological, chemical, and physical characteristics of the ocean.

Biogeochemical and physical characteristics of watersheds and the threats they currently face.

Advanced field and laboratory research focused on contemporary issues in environmental science.

Advanced topics in environmental policy and management presented by senior and visiting faculty. Specific subject matter will vary with the expertise of the visiting professor or senior faculty member conducting the course. Course may be taken under multiple titles.

National and international debates of key environmental issues from policy and management perspectives.

Legal analysis of the environment, incl. seminal national and international laws.

Application of economic principles to study environmental issues, such as evaluating the monetary value of ecosystems, the effectiveness of environmental policies, and comparing costs and benefits of different policy options. Contemporary environmental economic topics are explored.

Advanced topics in environmental social science and humanities presented by senior and visiting faculty. Specific subject matter will vary with the expertise of the visiting professor or senior faculty member conducting the course.

Methods for restoring nature that go beyond conservation and sustainability, including scientific, economic, and Indigenous rationales for environmental restoration. Exploration of the forms that human-nature collaborative regeneration can take.

Advanced topics in environmental science presented by senior and visiting faculty. Specific subject matter will vary with the expertise of the visiting professor or senior faculty member conducting the course. Course may be taken under multiple titles.

Biology, geology, chemistry, and physical environment of the ocean.

Practice of environmental science in modern economy; applications of environmental science.

Communication, planning and budgeting environmental projects; stakeholder interaction, technical writing, planning tools.

Practice of environmental science in modern economy; applications of environmental science.

Physical processes of coastal hazards, long term record of coastal geological processes.

Advanced GIS course with model building, raster analysis, and other spatial analysis techniques focused on conservation.

Principles of ecology applied to urban settings. Understanding cities as socio-ecological systems with dynamic relationships between social, natural, and built systems.

Seasonal, interannual, and decadal variations in climate variables. Atmospheric circulation patterns, teleconnections, and their impacts on the environment and society.

Spatial patterns and epidemiology of disease. Characteristics of epidemics and pandemics from a geographic perspective. Case studies, spatial/statistical analyses, and transmission processes.

Processes that shape the natural landscape. Descriptive and quantitative techniques to examine balance between tectonic activity and subsequent modification of landforms by weathering, erosion and deposition.

Broad range of security issues triggered by demographic and environmental factors such as competition for resources, population growth/displacement, disease, natural disasters, environmental change, and non-sustainable practices.

Overview of the COVID-19 pandemic including issues around global health, disease diffusion, health disparities, vulnerable populations, social determinants of disease, and economic and political implications.

Principles, techniques, and applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Laboratory employs analyses with state-of-the-art GIS software.

Scheduled group meetings with other research students in the department, focusing on general and specific aspects of the senior research project/thesis. Requires permission of instructor.

Presentations by speakers including faculty, students, and guests from the academic, public, and private sectors. Lectures feature new creative and scholarly work that emcompasses the disciplines and areas of interest of the department.

Presentations by speakers including faculty, students, and guests from the academic, public, and private sectors. Lectures feature new creative and scholarly work that encompasses the disciplines and areas of interest of the department.

Individual projects or studies in geography & the environment.

Research with faculty member selected by student. Part 1 of two-semester sequence. Continues as Thesis Research II, which culminates in a written thesis. Requires permission of the faculty mentor.

Second phase of senior thesis sequence. Research with faculty mentor selected by student. Culminates in a written senior thesis. Requires permission of the faculty mentor.

Challenges and complexities involved in achieving a sustainable society. Interdisciplinary approach to investigating impacts of a growing human population on energy requirements, waste management, and natural resource use.

Climate change, past and future climate, impacts of climate change on the natural world and human society, and adaptation strategies. Laboratory work focused on applying the scientific method to understanding causes and consequences of climate change.

Half of the world's population lives within the coastal zone. Yet, our use of this environment is occurring in tandem with environmental change. Laboratories will emphasize field techniques and include visits to local coastal sites, requiring four weekend field trips.

Scientific principles, concepts, measurements, and case studies with a focus on the science of environmental pollution (air, water, and land). Global climate change, environmental sustainability, environmental justice, and environmental policies.

Science of meteorology, climatology, and how variations in climate affect periodic ecological cycles. Focus on connections between them and overall trends in environmental change.

Climate, Environment, and Society Laboratory. Laboratory work focused on applying the scientific method to climate and environmental variations.

Challenges and complexities involved in achieving a sustainable society. Interdisciplinary approach to investigating impacts of a growing human population on energy requirements, waste management, and natural resource use.

Lab for MSE Environmental Sustainability. Challenges and complexities involved in achieving a sustainable society. Interdisciplinary approach to investigating impacts of a growing human population on energy requirements, waste management, and natural resource use.