Geography and the Environment

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.

Use of geospatial technologies to analyze, solve, and understand modern social and environmental issues involving population, development, and urbanization trends around the world.

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.

Location, distribution, and spatial organization of global economic activities. Course work focuses on the study of spatial aspects of economic activities on various scales.

Location, structure, functions, growth, and interactions urban areas. Spatial perspective of the environmental issues and internal attributes of cities, as well as their connectivity to other places.

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.

Four major categories of ecosystem services: provisioning services, regulating services, cultural, and supporting services.

Application of the principles of geology in the solving of environmental problems.

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.

Current practices and the environmental, political and social implications of this global industry.

Environmental implications of agriculture, incl. a scientific analysis of soil, pesticides, fertilizer, and biodiversity.

Soil, soil properties, and biota in various ecosystems with a focus on human impacts to soil mesocosm.

Analysis of natural and human-caused environmental impacts to the atmosphere.

Assessment of current methods for supplying energy, incl. fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy.

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.

Overview of the science, policy, and management issues for coral reef ecosystems in a changing world.

Topical approach to geology to include the terroir of wines, to the geology behind current events.

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.

Landform processes and development. Geomorphic processes, dynamics, and equilibrium systems. Data collection, statistical analysis, and interpretation of landform development models.

Natural and cultural landscapes of the Middle East and Islamic World. The variety of Middle Eastern peoples studied in a geographic context--tracing origins, dispersal, spatial organization, and interactions. The social and environmental imprint of the oil industry and the historical and contemporary interrelationship between the Islamic World and the West.

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

Survey of the region's geography including its physical geography, environmental issues, urban-economic development, cultural geograpy, historical evolution, and the spatial patterns of its human landscapes. Special emphasis placed on its strategic importance in a globalizing world and understanding the historical background to current geopolitical conflicts.

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. The environmental, economic, and ethical impacts of land management.

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 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.

Principles, techniques, and applications of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Laboratory employs data collection, mapping, and analyses with state-of-the-art GPS equipment and software.

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.

Examination of Earth's dynamic systems and the environmental consequences of environmental processes.

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

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

Wetland flora and fauna, hydrology, soils and ecology.

Principles of ecology and their implications for analyzing environmental problems. Understanding processes controlling the dynamics of populations, communities, and ecosystems.

Geologic processes, formation of fossil fuel and ore deposits, and the environmental impact of their extraction.

Processes that shape landforms. Major components of geomorphology, including fluvial, glacial, periglacial, aeolian, slope, and weathering process.

Approaches to understand and identify recent and long-term climate behavior in different parts of the world. Basic meteorological factors that influence climate. General climate classification schemes, theories of climate cycles and climate change.

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.

Management and planning of natural and constructed water systems.

Analysis of current affairs related to the environment.

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

Policies pertaining to the extraction, supply, distribution, and use of energy.

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.

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.

Earth's dynamic systems and the environmental consequences of geologic processes.

Application of eco-friendly thinking to scientific disciplines. Scientific solutions to global warming, pollution and other impacts on nature and the planet.

Design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.

Environmental issues unique to tropical latitudes and ecosystems.

Advanced exploration and discussion focused on contemporary issues in environmental science.

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

Environmental field research focusing on a specific environmental issue including an extensive field trip.

Design and conduct environmental research during a 1-2 week field trip to various locations; Lectures will incl. natural history, ecology, and geology of the location.

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.

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.

Geography of the national security landscape and the nexus of geography and conflict. Modern trends in national security, historical case studies, and geospatial analysis.

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.

Spatial distribution of species, biomes, and ecosystems at local, regional, and global scales. Ecological and historical processes responsible for geographic patterns of biodiversity

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.

Environmental, economic, and justice issues facing developing countries. Historical review of post-colonial experiences and the impact of modern global economic and environmental changes on the political, economic, and demographic experiences of Latin America, Africa, and southern Asia.

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.

Spatial problem solving by focusing on theoretical/conceptual and practical aspects of GIS modeling and spatial analysis.

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.

Advanced application of geospatial techniques to solve a variety of environmentally related issues.

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.

Science of meteorology, climatology, and how variations in climate affect periodic ecological cycles. Focus on connections between them and overall trends in environmental change. Laboratory work focused on applying the scientific method to climate and environmental variations.

Extraction and use of fossil fuels is linked to global economics and to multiple environmental issues. Newly developed techniques such as hydro-fracking have recently allowed for the production of natural gas from shale deposits in the U.S. Focus on the science behind natural gas extraction from Marcellus Shale, and potential benefits and risks of this technology for the environment and society.

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.

Wetlands improve the environment in ways society is only beginning to understand. Today, scientists realize their importance in providing vital habitat. Examination of how they affect our daily lives, their value to society, and current regulations.

Extraction and use of fossil fuels is linked to global economics and to multiple environmental issues. Newly developed techniques such as hydro-fracking have recently allowed for the production of natural gas from shale deposits in the U.S. Focus on the science behind natural gas extraction from Marcellus Shale, and potential benefits and risks of this techonology for the environment and society.

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.