SPRING 2017 COURSES
Courses for the Environmental Studies Major
Courses for the Environmental Science Major
Courses for the ESS Minor
Special Topics Course Descriptions
COURSES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MAJOR
Foundation Courses
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 105 Field Studies in Environmental Science
Core Courses
- ES 104 Microeconomics
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- PL 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- SO 223 Environmental Sociology
Cluster A Courses
- AN 252C Archaeology of the American Southwest
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 302 Environment and Development in the Middle East
- ES 352C Urban Planning
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- HI 264 History of the American West
- MB 351D Business and the Natural Environment
- PL 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- SO 223 Environmental Sociology
Cluster B1 Courses
- BI 136 Ecology of the Adirondacks
- GE 101 Earth System Science
- GE 211 Climatology
- GE 251C Introduction to Natural Resources
Capstone
- ES 375 Environmental Studies Research Capstone
Methods
- EC 239 Statistical Methods
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
- SO 226 Statistics for the Social Sciences
- SO 227 Social Research Methods
COURSES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MAJOR
Foundation Course
- ES 252D Environmental Engineering and the Science of Sustainability
Disciplinary Foundation Courses
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- CH 125 Principles of Chemistry
- GE 101 Earth System Science
Note: We are waiving BI 106 for majors.
Core Courses:
- ES 252D Environmental Engineering and the Science of Sustainability
Note: This course will substitute for ES 206; please contact Karen Kellogg (kkellogg@skidmore.edu) if you have any trouble enrolling in this course.
Cluster A Courses
- AN 252C Archaeology of the American Southwest
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 302 Environment and Development in the Middle East
- ES 352C Urban Planning
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- HI 264 History of the American West
- MB 351D Business and the Natural Environment
- PL 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- SO 223 Environmental Sociology
Cluster B2 Courses
- BI 252 Evolution
- BI 316 Animal Behavior
- BI 352 Global Change Biology
- CH 221 Organic Chemistry I
- CH 222 Organic Chemistry II
- CH 232 Analytical Methods in Chemistry
- ES 252D Environmental Engineering and the Science of Sustainability
- EX 242 Principles of Nutrition
- GE 251C Introduction to Natural Resources
- GE 301 Hydrogeology
- GE 211 Climatology
Capstone
- ES 375 Environmental Studies Research Capstone
Methods
- BI 235 Biostatistics
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
COURSES FOR THE ESS MINOR
Foundation Courses
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 105 Field Studies in Environmental Science
Cluster A Courses
- AN 252C Archaeology of the American Southwest
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 302 Environment and Development in the Middle East
- ES 352C Urban Planning
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- HI 264 History of the American West
- MB 351D Business and the Natural Environment
- PL 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- SO 223 Environmental Sociology
Cluster B1 Courses
- BI 136 Ecology of the Adirondacks
- GE 101 Earth System Science
- GE 211 Climatology
- GE 251C Introduction to Natural Resources
- GE 305 Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Earth
Cluster B2 Courses
- BI 252 Evolution
- BI 316 Animal Behavior
- BI 352 Global Change Biology
- CH 221 Organic Chemistry I
- CH 222 Organic Chemistry II
- CH 232 Analytical Methods in Chemistry
- ES 252D Environmental Engineering and the Science of Sustainability
- EX 242 Principles of Nutrition
- GE 251C Introduction to Natural Resources
- GE 301 Hydrogeology
- GE 211 Climatology
SPECIAL TOPICS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
AN 252C Archaeology of the American Southwest K. Baustian
Students in this course are exposed to archaeological discoveries in the ancient American
Southwest. Topics to be covered range from Paleoindians to pre-contact Puebloan populations,
hunter-gatherers to agriculturalists, and northern Mexico to northern Utah. The origins
of agriculture, architectural and ritual change, and conflict will be addressed. Activities
will include group discussion, short writing assignments, exams, and class presentations.
BI 136 Ecology of the Adirondacks E. Schielke
An introduction to the basic principles of ecology through the lens of the Adirondacks. We will explore the habitats of the Adirondack region, how organisms adapt to these environments, how they interact with one another, and the flow of energy and nutrients through these systems. Particular emphasis will be paid to the way in which environmental issues such as acid rain, invasive species, and climate change affect the ecology of the Adirondacks. Students will become comfortable interpreting and applying findings from the scientific literature, and analyzing coverage of ecology and environmental issues in the popular media. We will focus on interpreting and presenting ecological data, and communicating research findings to the scientific community and the public. Prerequisites: QR1
BI 352 Global Change Biology J. Ness (lecture and associated lab)
Explores five major facets of recent, ongoing global change and their interaction as they relate to living organisms in their current and emerging environments. These are: 1) the redistribution of greenhouse gases and limiting nutrients, 2) climate change, 3) urbanization and associated novel contaminants, 4) habitat modification and fragmentation, and 5) the redistribution of biodiversity. Students will study ongoing change in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments; explore responses by microbes, protists, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, as well as the processes that link the taxa; and make significant use of predictive and descriptive quantitative models. Prerequisites: BI 106 and any two 200-level biology courses except BI 299 or BI 275. ES 205 or ES 206 may be substituted for one of the 200-level Biology courses.
ES 252D Environmental Engineering and the Science of Sustainability K. Kellogg
As a complement to ES 205-Conservation and Use of Forested Landscapes, this course
explores the application of ecological and ecosystem-based concepts and principles
to the design of regenerative solutions for water-, waste-, soil-, and energy-related
environmental problems. Using natural science methods as a foundation and Life Cycle
Assessment and Cradle-to-Cradle Analysis/Design as additional frameworks, we will
quantitatively and critically evaluate and construct systems for a range of case studies,
including waste water treatment, brownfield restoration, composting, anaerobic digestion,
and biofabrication. The overall goals of the course are to contemplate the complexity
of both environmental problems and potential solutions, as well as understand how
discoveries in the primary scientific literature can be applied to help us design
more efficient and sustainable closed-loop systems. Prerequisites, if any: ES 100 and BI 105
ES 352C Urban Planning T. Fabozzi
This course will examine the theory and practice of urban planning in the United States, the evolving structure of cities and suburbs and the ways they can be designed and developed. It will include a review of the dominant planning paradigms and how they have changed over time in response to social, economic and environmental conditions within the American political framework. The course will examine planning as a community process and professional activity, including an evaluation of its successes, failures and possibilities for shaping sustainable metropolitan regions. Prerequisite: ES 100
GE 251C Introduction to Natural Resources J. Cholnoky
“If it’s not grown, it must be mined.” A survey of the formation, distribution, and extraction of mineral (i.e. metals, gems, building materials) and energy (i.e. natural gas, petroleum, uranium) resources on Earth. Energy and mineral resources are the foundation of many national economies and also the underpinning of many of major environmental and geopolitical conflicts throughout history. Understanding Earth’s resources from cradle to grave is an important component for an informed citizenry that is able to meet the challenges of an Earth with a growing population and ever changing technologies. Prerequisites: GE 101, GE 102, GE 112, or instructor permission.
MB 351D Business and the Natural Environment J. Kennelly
This case-based course aims to foster awareness, sensitivity and literacy concerning
the major forces and challenges at the intersection of business activities and the
natural environment. It broadly examines and appraises the role of business enterprise
in relation to the current (and future) state of the planet, particularly in the context
of the global economy. The course reviews the major ecological and socio-economic
challenges confronting the planet, including population growth, human poverty, climate
change, toxic pollution, loss of biodiversity, etc., paying particular attention to
the impacts of business enterprise upon each issue. The course then turns to an assessment
of sustainable development and biophysically and socially sustainable business practices,
concluding with an assessment of the varied ways that business enterprises may become
proactive forces in achieving economic, social and environmental sustainability. Prerequisites: MB 107 or EC 103 or EC 104, or permission of instructor
Other Courses of Interest:
GE 351C Science Communication A. Frappier
Scientific information relates to many current issues with important ethical, political
and economic implications. How can science majors communicate more effectively to
peers and the public? Constructive critical analysis of case studies of popular science
materials in a variety of media, such as books and posters, op-eds and blogs, storytelling
and data visualization, will enable students to become more astute consumers of scientific
information. Class projects develop students’ abilities to communicate science effectively
to different audiences in various real-world contexts. We examine balance, accuracy,
framing, treatment of uncertainty, and reporting about risk for science-related issues
such as water and air pollution; climate change and ocean acidification; nuclear and
wind energy; hurricane warnings; genetic engineering; exercise and nutrition; drones
and self-driving cars; the Anthropocene.
