Department Catalog and Guide to Academic Programs Class of 2022 Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering - 0 – DEPARTMENT CATALOG GUIDE TO THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS CLASS OF 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS Message to Cadets ............................................................................................................... 2 After Graduation ................................................................................................................. 5 Department Opportunities .............................................................................................. 7 Center for Academic Excellence ................................................................................... 10 Programs for Class of 2022 ............................................................................................. 11 Academic Major Descriptions ........................................................................................ 12 Academic Major Details.................................................................................................... 14 Faculty Counselors ........................................................................................................... 30 Course Offerings and Descriptions ................................................................................ 32 Complementary Support Courses ................................................................................... 45 Department Faculty ........................................................................................................... 52 List of Current Majors ...................................................................................................... 77 Hometown Distribution, USMA Class of 2022 .............................. Inside Back Cover Department Website External to USMA: https://www.usma.edu/gene/SitePages/Home.aspx Department Academic Counselor: MAJ Elizabeth Dzwonczyk - 1 - MESSAGE TO CADETS Welcome to the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering! Thank you for taking the time to look at our diverse offering of academic majors. We offer studies in geography, environmental engineering, environmental science, and geospatial information science - disciplines that have unquestionable relevance for your future, our Army, and our nation. Our team of highly credentialed faculty and staff want to inspire, educate, and develop each of you to think globally and geospatially and then apply your understanding of human-environment interactions to develop culturally appropriate, sustainable solutions. By learning to think in this manner, you will find that you are a valued member of any team you serve on in the future – especially when solving our most challenging problems such as access to clean water, energy security, climate change, natural disasters, food insecurity, restoring urban infrastructure, or protecting populations against disease. In the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, we seek to better understand the world in which we live. Our academic majors and minor, which examine the most challenging problems facing our society, include: • Environmental Engineering: the application of science and engineering principles to minimize adverse effects of human activities on the environment and to protect human health by providing clean air and water. • Environmental Science: a broad, integrative science-based study of how humans affect the planet with the goal of creating a sustainable future for all. • Geospatial Information Science: is extensively used in the public, private, and defense sectors. Applications such as Google Earth, rideshare platforms, and driverless vehicles all rely on GIS to function properly. Use of GIS is critical for planning of military operations, gathering intelligence, executing search and rescue efforts, and tracking/predicting natural hazards such as major storms. The GIS Major will develop your knowledge and skills in spatial data measurement, analysis, and acquisition in urban and natural environments. • Geography: studies social and environmental issues in a rapidly changing world from a spatial perspective. Three tracks within the major (human, physical, and human-environment) focus on topics such as the cultural patterns of the world's regions, demographic and social change, globalization, natural landscapes, resource issues, and environmental change. Each major prepares you to serve your nation as an Army officer and beyond. Despite the continual changes in our Army and throughout the world, several constants serve as guideposts for our profession: • Leaders must understand human and physical operating environments--this is critical to successfully planning and conducting military operations; • Leaders must think holistically--many of our challenges have global, far-reaching connections; • Leaders must understand that positively affecting the human condition is critical to establishing and preserving peace. Our core course in physical geography, our environmental engineering sequence, each major, and the research you may choose to complete while pursuing your major give you the opportunity to address the tenants of these three professional guideposts. In choosing a major, you select a subject to investigate in depth. Your task in selecting a major is to find the subject that excites you and inspires a vision for your future. We have much to offer - let us tell you more! Your options are exciting and the possibilities are numerous. Please look through this booklet, consider what interests you, and then visit with our faculty. They stand ready to assist you in understanding the rewarding opportunities that are available within the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering. MARK R. READ Colonel, US Army Professor, USMA, and Head Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering - 2 - PEOPLE AND PLANET SINCE 1803 - 3 - G&EnE’s Mission To enhance the intellectual, character, and military development of all cadets within the context of a core course in physical geography, a three course environmental engineering sequence, four distinct majors, and a diverse offering of elective courses all while supporting the continued development of faculty and staff. G&EnE’s Vision The Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering is a cohesive, integrated organization that is well-resourced and widely recognized for its teaching, scholarship, and collegiality; the Department is built around a core of credentialed faculty and trained staff who are inspired to educate and develop cadets so that each cadet thinks globally and geospatially and can apply their understanding of human-environment interactions to develop culturally appropriate, sustainable solutions. G&EnE’s Goals • Inspire cadets and promote development through teaching and enrichment activities. • Staff and faculty are credentialed, trained, productive, and continually seek professional and personal growth. • Intellectual capabilities are widely recognized, valued, and sought by West Point, the Army, and National and disciplinary partners. • An active and respected member of the West Point Community. • Offers a welcoming, collegial, and enriching environment to cadets, faculty, staff, families and guests. 2017-2018 Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering Staff and Faculty - 4 - AFTER GRADUATION Each of our academic programs is focused on preparing you for success as a leader. We develop successful leaders who critically evaluate and solve problems. Regardless of your major, the faculty provides an academically rigorous environment in order to develop your analytical problem solving skills that will serve you well in the future. Many of the problems you will face in the Army will be examined in our classes because the Army is our laboratory and we study real world examples. We also provide you the finest laboratory experience available to undergraduate students in the United States. Not only will we provide the best equipment, but we also focus on your research and academic experience, preparing you to creatively find and solve ill-defined problems in your career. You will also become a capable user of some of the most up-to-date technology in your field, and our Geospatial Sciences Laboratory is world-class. In addition to our regular academic program our AIAD program exposes you to the people and planet by providing you the opportunity to interact with over 45 cultural, governmental, military and academic institutions before you graduate. Majoring in this department does not limit your branch opportunities – on the contrary, it expands your value in whatever branch you choose. Each branch needs leaders who understand the world, its people, and how they interact – our programs will give you those skills. All Army units must train and operate in varied operational environments and within the guidelines of established environmental regulations in a way that sustains limited training lands. Finally, the special skills learned as part of the geospatial sciences program are critical to all types of military planning and provide the critical spatial data that every Army deployment requires. WHAT GEOGRAPHERS, GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION SCIENTISTS, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS DO FOR THE ARMY As a geographer, geospatial information scientist, environmental scientist, or environmental engineer, you will be an asset to any branch or functional area. Your keen understanding of culture, technology, and engineering will provide you valuable insights