CourseS

  • ENVS 103* – Earth Systems. Introductory survey course of the components and interactions of Earth Systems as well as human connections and influences. We explore local systems with field trips, use hands-on labs to build skills and reinforce learning, and culminate our work with student-designed projects that investigate Earth system phenomena or processes. Offered every fall.

  • ENVS 105* – Earth and Physical Science for Elementary Educators. This survey course examines the full range of Earth and physical sciences from the composition and history of the universe to classical physics and the water cycle to plate tectonics. We use demonstrations and mini-labs to prompt puzzling questions and explore over-arching scientific ideas (and practices!) that help us understand our world. Offered every spring, instructors vary.

  • ENVS 279* – Environmental Data Science. The ability to use, analyze, visualize, and make meaning from data is vital for modern geoscientists and being a scientifically literate citizen. In this course, we build foundational data science and coding skills (in R) through case studies on seminal issues and datasets. Students demonstrate their growth in a final project on a question and dataset of their choosing. Offered Spring 2023, planned every Spring starting in 2025.

  • ENVS 310 – Biogeochemical Cycles. A comprehensive exploration of the intricate elemental cycles that have governed Earth’s history and the global changes currently shaping our planet. We delve into the complex interactions and feedbacks that control the movement of important elements within the Earth system, emphasizing the impacts of human activities on these processes. We develop and utilize conceptual and quantitative models to answer fundamental questions about how the world works and predict how it responds to perturbations. Offered alternating years, next planned for Spring 2025.

  • ENVS 379 – Special Topic: Climate Change Science and Solutions. In this upper-level seminar, we explore the scientific foundations of Earth’s climate system and history. We explore how Earth’s climate changes, how humans have altered the climate, and how we know what we know, and how harms are unevenly distributed. The course culminates in a project analyzing the scientific foundations of proposed adaptation and mitigation solutions. First offered Spring 2024, alternating years thereafter.

  • ENVS 479* – Special Topic: Watershed Hydrology and Sustainability. Description coming soon. New course planned for Fall 2026.

  • BIO 360* – Limnology. This general limnology course provides a comprehensive study of freshwater ecosystems. We apply a multidisciplinary approach to delve deeper into the complex interplay between physical, chemical, and biological processes within inland aquatic ecosystems and use local citizen science data to assess and propose management plans. Offered alternating years, most recently Fall 2023.

*Includes lecture and a 3-hr weekly lab section