Brian Webb to speak on panel at United Nations Climate Change Conference
Brian Webb, The College of Wooster’s director of campus sustainability, will be a panelist at COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties of the […]
Overview
Environmental Studies at The College of Wooster
The Environmental Studies Program at Wooster engages students with environmental issues both inside and outside the classroom, at both local and global levels. Resources available to students include a campus garden, visiting speakers, connections to local researchers and facilities at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and opportunities to get involved in faculty research, campus sustainability initiatives, and internships both on and off campus. Recent students have worked with urban gardening initiatives in Cleveland, environmental education centers, environmental writing, and a variety of off-campus study options that expose them to environmental concerns and initiatives in other parts of the world.
Students majoring in Environmental Studies choose from four different pathways to give their interdisciplinary major a coherence and focus. Those pathways are:
- Environmental Humanities
- Environment and Society
- Environmental Conservation
- Sustainable Food Systems
Although pathways are focused around a central theme, students get the full breadth of an interdisciplinary program, by taking Environmental Studies courses and and cross-listed courses across all the academic divisions.
Faculty & Staff
Susan Clayton
Whitmore-Williams Professor and Department Chair of Psychology; Liaison to the Environmental Communication & Action Pathway
Erum Haider
Assistant Professor of Political Science; Environmental Studies; South Asian Studies (On leave for Spring 2024)
Beth Lingenfelter
Administrative Coordinator - Biology, Environmental Studies, Neuroscience
Gregory Wiles
Schoolroy Chair of Natural Resources; Professor of Earth Sciences; Archaeology (on leave calendar year 2023)
Latest Environmental Studies News
Wooster Science Café continues fall season with “The Science of Gerrymandering”
Wooster Science Café will continue its fall semester series on Wednesday, October 4, with “The Science of Gerrymandering,” featuring speaker Joseph Coll, assistant professor […]
Wooster Science Café begins tenth year with “The Science of Termite Behavior”
The tenth year of the Wooster Science Café, sponsored by The College of Wooster and The Ohio State University, begins Sept. 6 at 7 […]
Environmental studies major teaches children about nature in APEX Fellowship
Carolyn Klein ’24, an environmental studies major on the environmental conservation track, planned to conduct research for her Independent Study project at the William […]
Major
Environmental Studies majors become knowledgeable about core scientific concepts that are relevant to the environment; able to understand different ways of assessing the value of the natural environment; comfortable with different means of examining and communicating about the environment; and familiar with the ways in which social institutions contribute to environmental problems and potential solutions to those problems. They should also understand their own roles within the human-environment relationship.
To complete a major, students choose 13 courses that span environmental science, economics, communications, psychology, various humanities options, and other science courses. All students at The College of Wooster complete two semesters of independent study under the guidance of a faculty mentor and their research is used to build a thesis delivered in spring semester of their senior year.
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Minor
Environmental Studies minors are knowledgeable about core scientific concepts that allow them to understand ecological processes and change. They are able to understand different ways of assessing the value of the natural environment and be comfortable with different means of examining and communicating about the environment; and familiar with the ways in which social institutions contribute to environmental problems and may be utilized for solutions to those problems. They should also understand their own roles as actors within the human-environment relationship. The environmental studies minor complements a major in a traditional department so that students combine a detailed understanding of the knowledge and methods within a discipline with a focus on a particular topic.
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Independent Study
All students at The College of Wooster complete independent study on a topic of their choice under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The research becomes the basis of a thesis delivered in spring semester of each student’s senior year.
Search the I.S. Database
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Related Articles
I.S. builds case for accessible sustainable housing
Jen Mynard ’23 believes making sustainability more accessible to everyone will be “the issue of the coming century as climate change threatens all.” The […]
Environmental studies major finds vibrant communities in Denmark cohousing research
In the age of technology, connecting to those closest to you seems like it would be easy, but some people don’t even know the […]
“Damn Daniel” to Genesis: An Analysis of Songs about Select Environmental Events
Name: Gabriele Gajdos Major: Environmental Studies Minor: Music Advisor: Setsuko Matsuzawa; Matt Mariola (second reader) Within this project, I presented a contemporary topic connecting […]
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and its role in building Socio-Ecological Resilience in the context of displaced communities
Name: Temuul Munkhtur Major: Environmental Studies Advisor: Carlo Moreno For my project, I decided to make Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) the focus of my study. […]
Alumni
Environmental Studies majors have access to internships and hand-on learning in college that leads to job offers and career paths after graduation.
Related Articles
Alumna on ice: Lauren Vargo ’13 studies connections between glacier melt and climate change
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2023 edition of Wooster Magazine. Lauren Vargo ’13 came to The College of Wooster because she wanted […]
Biology alumna honored for clean energy work
Chelsea Barnes ’07 strikes the balance between working with her community to promote solar energy and creating environmental policy
Self-designed environmental studies major tackles issues at cross-section of faith and environment
Dekila Chungyalpa ’98 incorporates interests and skills she developed at Wooster into a lifelong commitment to environmentalism.
Political Science major co-founds environmental company
Aaron Levy ’16 tailored his degree to find the intersection of environmental studies and political science