ENSP - Environmental Science and Policy

An introduction to major environmental issues. Important ecological principles will be presented, and then an interdisciplinary approach will be utilized to analyze the biological, economic, social and political aspects of environmental problems. Topics of study include human population dynamics, air and water pollution, toxic wastes, food production, land use, energy and endangered species.

Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment or credit in ENSP 101 and permission of the program director. Priority will be given to ENSP majors or students who intend to major in ENSP. This is a laboratory designed to introduce students to the hands-on study of environmental issues. Course material will complement that of ENSP 101, Environmental Problems. Students will investigate environmental problems through a variety of means, including experiments, observations, surveys and literature reviews. Topics covered might include human population growth, air and water pollution, energy consumption, food production, attitudes about environmental issues and biodiversity. This course is for students who are majors in or intend to major in Environmental Science and Policy.

Prerequisite: MATH 098 or Level IB placement on the Basic Math Skills Inventory or permission of the instructor. An introduction to Geographic Information Systems for students of all disciplines. This course will provide a suite of tools for creating, manipulating, analyzing, visualizing, and illustrating spatial data. Concepts presented in lecture will be put into practice through hands-on laboratory exercises utilizing appropriate GIS software. The culmination of the course is the presentation of discipline-specific original research projects employing the methods learned.

Prerequisite: A 100-level lab science course. This lecture and laboratory course will explore the physics, chemistry, biology and geology of coastal oceans. Such topics as plate tectonics, shoreline geology, seawater chemistry, ocean circulation and sedimentology will be considered in relation to the use and management of coastal resources. Life in the oceans will be investigated, highlighting coastal marine communities, primary production and the use of living marine resources. The course will emphasize laboratory and field investigations that will take place at selected sites along the eastern seaboard of the United States. This course is offered as part of the Coastal Studies Semester.

Prerequisites: ENSP 101 and ENSP 102, or a 100-level lab science course. In this course you will study the structure and function of Atlantic coastal communities from South Florida to the Chesapeake Bay. The course investigates adjacent aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and the natural linkages that connect them as large-scale hydroscapes. Case studies of resource management issues and human impacts on these communities and their individual populations will be used to exemplify basic ecological concepts. This course emphasizes laboratory and field investigations that will take place at selected sites along the eastern seaboard of the United States as part of the Coastal Studies Semester.

Prerequisites: ENSP 101 or concurrent enrollment in ENSP 212 and ENSP 210 or permission of instructor. This course addresses topics of special interest in the field of environmental science and policy. Faculty and students will explore a specific issue through readings, lectures, discussion, fieldwork and laboratory activities. The course has both lecture and laboratory/field components.

Prerequisites: ENSP 101 and ENSP-102 or permission of instructor. This course investigates earth processes and their effects on or control of the natural and anthropogenic surroundings. The course elaborates on many of the topics of physical geology including natural and human-induced geologic hazards such as: earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and land subsidence; as well as environmental issues such as disposal and management of solid, chemical, and radioactive waste, acid mine drainage, and the environmental impact of mineral extraction and water resource utilization.

Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in ENSP 210 and ENSP 212 or permission of instructor. The natural history of the Chesapeake Bay region will be examined in the context of society’s exploitation of a natural system. Scientific topics will be combined with historical, sociological, and economic perspectives to form a coherent portrait of the interplay between society and the environment.

Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in ENSP 212 and ENSP 210 or permission of instructor. The origins and answers to coastal environmental problems are found by studying the interplay among science, technology, society, and culture of the region. Working as a team, students will work collaboratively to define a coastal issue facing mid-Atlantic communities. Past topics include the sources and impact of untreated sewage effluent, the effects of marine debris on public beaches, and the importance of abandoned fishing gear. They will design a multidisciplinary study that addresses that issue from several perspectives. Working in teams, students will collect information, synthesize the material and provide their results and interpretations in both a written report and oral presentation. This course is offered as part of the Coastal Studies Semester.

Laboratory, library or field investigation of an environmental problem. Selection of topic, preparation of research plan and evaluation of results are guided by means of weekly conferences with the instructor.

Prerequisites: ENSP 210, ENSP 212, or permission of instructor. Through travel to distant field sites, students will be immersed in the environmental issues of a particular coastal location. Environmental topics will be studied within the framework of the natural, historical, social, and cultural milieu found in the locale visited. Students will be involved in fieldwork, readings and discussions with local constituencies to develop a holistic view of the development, impacts and possible avenues of resolution for contemporary coastal environmental issues. This course is offered as part of the Coastal Studies minor.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members

Students work at off-campus sites with environmentally concerned government agencies; legislators; or nongovernmental organizations at local, state, regional and national levels. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisites: ENSP 300 or permission of instructor This course will provide a qualitative and quantitative understanding of concepts and physical principles governing the occurrence, distribution, and circulation of water near the Earth's surface. Managing human impacts on watersheds and water resources and understanding the interrelationships among land-use, soil, and water will be addressed. Human uses of and impacts on water will be examined with an emphasis on principles of water resource and watershed planning.

Prerequisites: Junior standing, ENSP 101, ENSP 102 and one 300-level BIOL course for undergraduates. Examines sources, fates and biological effects of environmental pollutants. Topics covered include: air, water and soil pollution; techniques for monitoring and evaluating pollution effects; and pollution control technologies. Factors leading to global climate change will be examined in depth. The social, economic, and political issues surrounding pollution problems are all examined.

Prerequisites: ENSP 101, ENSP 102, BIOL 201 and one 300-level BIOL course or permission of the instructor. Introduces students to the basic biological and ecological principles of natural resource management and the complexities of applying these principles to real-world problems. Quantitative and qualitative techniques are used to analyze ecosystems in an integrated fashion that combines biological, economic and political considerations. The impact of climate change on management plans is also considered

Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIOL 338 or permission of the instructor. Examines the critical problems of maintaining, enhancing and restoring biological diversity. Principles of ecology, population biology, genetics and modeling are applied to the conservation of rare species and endangered ecosystems. Topics include international trade in wildlife, ethnobotany, ecological restoration, conservation ethics, natural resource economics, conservation genetics and ecotourism.

Prerequisite: Senior major status, or permission of the instructor. This multi-disciplinary course introduces advanced students to the natural and social science methodologies used when preparing environmental impact assessments. Students will then apply those techniques in the analysis of a contemporary environ-mental situation. They will analyze and interpret scientific, economic, social and political data, and collaboratively develop and evaluate alternative courses of action. Finally, they will make a formal presentation of the seminar’s findings to a knowledgeable audience.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department.  The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.