2006-07 Curriculum

Winter Quarter 2007

First-year core: Population, Energy and Resources (PER)
Faculty: Paul Butler, Amy Cook, Karen Gaul

Thesis-Essay Workshop - Maria Bastaki

Electives:

Ecological Restoration: Native American Models and Sustainability (Fridays 6 - 10 PM) - Linda Moon Stumpff
Focus: Natural and cultural methodologies applied to ecological restoration. Native American models of restoration to provide for long-term sustainability over multiple generations offer opportunities to consider scientific evidence from fields like forestry, conservation biology, indigenous knowledge and the practice of field science. The course will take a problem-solving orientation to explore how restoration models can apply to other communities and agencies.

Environmental Advocacy (Wednesdays 6 - 10 PM)- Ted Whitesell
Focus: Development of skills, knowledge, and networks necessary for MES alumni to strengthen the environmental movement; combination of theoretical and experiential learning through guest lectures, readings, and student projects for environmental advocacy organizations; brief survey of approaches to environmental protection, emphasizing strengths and weaknesses; academic readings from natural and social sciences are supplemented with professional literature on advocacy skills.

Toxicology in Environmental Health (Mondays 6 - 10 PM) - Maria Bastaki
Focus: Toxicology as integral part of environmental health sciences, including laboratory and epidemiological studies; includes study of multiple toxic substances, their mechanism of action, biological effects, dose-response relationships, exposure, absorption, metabolic transformation and toxicokinetics, risk assessment, epidemiological study design, relevant regulations, and the relative impact of environmental factors on the global burden of disease.

Global and Regional Climate Change (Wednesdays 6 - 10 PM) - Jeremy Littell
Focus: Biophysical basis for global and regional climate change. Participants will read and discuss scientific and popular literature on the impacts of climatic change to the biosphere and human socioeconomic systems. Particularly, we will explore definitions of vulnerability and critically evaluate strategies for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Spring Quarter 2007

First-year core: Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis for Environmental Studies
Faculty: Maria Bastaki, Karen Gaul

Thesis-Essay Workshop - Paul Butler

Electives:

Environmental Justice - Tyrus Smith
Focus: Introduction to various dimensions of the environmental justice (EJ) movement and efforts to develop strategies to eliminate "environmental racism" and other forms of "environmental injustice" from society. Taking the EJ movement as a response to assertions that environmental benefits and burdens are inequitably distributed in society, emphasis will be placed upon efforts to promote environmental justice through grassroots activism, legislation, public policy, and judicial remedies.

Environmental Policy Making - Craig Partridge
Focus: This course will introduce students to the important theoretical and practical concepts and issues in making and carrying out U.S. environmental and natural resource policy. Students learn several approaches to understanding how, why, and by whom policy decisions are made, gaining experience with policy analysis and evaluation methods and implementation issues. A process approach is emphasized, aimed at students seeing themselves as future practitioners. Students consult with key participants in current real-life environmental policy debates in Washington State . Faculty member for the course is the policy director of a Washington State environmental agency.

Environmental Education - Jean MacGregor
Focus: An environmentally literate, concerned citizenry is crucial to a sustainable future, but how can environmental literacy be most effectively developed? This class will explore philosophical underpinnings and current trends in environmental education for youth and adults.

Grand Canyon Natural and Unnatural History - Paul Butler
Focus: One of the geologic wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon displays over a billion years of Earth's history as well as the history of relatively recent human activities that endanger this riparian ecosystem. Students will experience the magic of a 16-day dory trip down the Colorado River to conduct field observations on a topic they will research ahead of time. Upon return to campus, students will write a report comparing their observations with published material on their topic.

River Restoration - Amy Cook
Focus: In this program we will be examining the ecology of lotic (running-water) ecosystems and riparian ecosystems. We will look at the major structure of these two communities, biogeochemical cycles within them and the ways in which rivers and riparian zones are linked. Both natural and anthropogenic disturbances of these systems will be examined and we will discuss the various methods used to restore both organisms and ecosystem processes to these communities when they are degraded by human use. Much of the program will focus on the Northwest but examples from the arid West and other parts of the U.S. will be used to illustrate issues around dams and urban waterways. The program will include at least one fieldtrip, which is planned for Saturday, April 28th. The activities that day will include both a fieldtrip and labwork so students should set aside the whole day.