ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Richard Van Buskirk, Chair; Deke Gundersen The Environmental Studies Department (www.pacificu.edu/as/enviro/) in the College of Arts and Sciences provides students with an education that takes full advantage of Pacific University's liberal arts curriculum. In this program, students and faculty have opportunities to pursue interests that span a wide range of disciplines. In addition to the two full-time faculty members in the department, Environmental Studies offers the expertise of faculty affiliated with the program who are based in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, political science, economics, history, art, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and literature. This results in a wide range of opportunities to investigate environmental problems that cross traditional boundaries. Students in Environmental Studies can choose to apply their knowledge through research opportunities in unique nearby surroundings such as the coniferous forest of the John Blodgett Arboretum, the riparian corridors of the Gales Creek and Tualatin River watersheds, and the 750-acre Fernhill Wetlands. The B Street Permaculture Project (a 15-minute walk from campus) is a learning laboratory for sustainability that directly addresses the human component of environmental problem solving. Regionally, there are many exemplary resources available within a one- to two-hour drive of campus such as the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Tillamook and Willapa Bays, and the forests of the Coast and Cascade Ranges. The proximity of Pacific University to study sites both wild and human-influenced is one of the main strengths of the Environmental Studies program. The Environmental Studies curriculum includes majors that lead to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. Students pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science can choose either a Biology or an Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry emphasis. Students pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies can choose to major in either Policy, Culture & Society (PCS) or in Sustainable Design. Students in all tracks will gain knowledge about how ecological and physical earth systems work, how these systems are being affected by human activities, and how we can alter these patterns to produce more desirable outcomes. Students will learn to appreciate the services provided by natural systems and will understand how our social, economic, political, and legal systems are rapidly increasing stratification locally, regionally and globally. Students will develop the ability to think systematically and will "solve for pattern" by understanding the cause and effect of environmental and social relationships, and how initiatives to solve problems in one area will affect conditions in the other. The Department of Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary community of active scholars in the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences. We are dedicated to helping students and community members form a broad holistic understanding of the relationships between human and natural systems and give them the skills they need to identify and address the problems that exist within those relationships. This understanding is built on a foundation of valid, contextual knowledge informed by disciplinary study and experiential learning practices. Through faculty guidance and peer interaction, students gain an appreciation for the complexity of relationships between human, social and economic systems and natural ecosystems. Students in our program will learn to creatively apply both quantitative and qualitative methods to the complex environmental and social problems we currently face. Our innovative program produces broadly educated, highly skilled graduates who will become active and responsible citizens in the world community. By successfully completing a major within Environmental Studies, students will be able to: o Demonstrate conceptual understanding of fundamental environmental principles. o Communicate effectively in the discipline in oral and in written form. o Think critically and synthesize information from a variety of different sources. o Consider social, political, economic and cultural views when dealing with environmental problem solving. o Conduct independent research or work successfully in a technical position. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: BIOLOGY OR TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY EMPHASIS The Environmental Biology emphasis focuses on field and laboratory approaches to environmental problems such as the conservation of rare or declining species or the restoration of degraded habitats. Environmental Biology stands apart from a traditional biology degree in the way that it integrates interdisciplinary core courses with a mission-oriented, problem-solving methodology. Students completing this major have the analytical skills and technical background necessary to compete in the job market for environmental biology positions or to continue with advanced studies in a graduate program. The Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry emphasis offers students an integrated interdisciplinary science curriculum and a disciplinary approach towards understanding the complex interactions of xenobiotics (drugs, toxins, and natural compounds) in the biosphere, including humans. This challenging curriculum is designed for students interested in careers in pharmacy, toxicology, and environmental chemistry (disciplines that overlap with each other) and to make students highly competitive for graduate programs in these areas. Faculty in the School of Natural Sciences and the School of Pharmacy teach discipline-specific courses in the curriculum. Students in this program are required to successfully design and complete independent scientific research projects, where they work with faculty in Pacific University's School of Natural Sciences and School of Pharmacy. In addition students are required to take discipline- specific courses that cover important concepts in pharmacology, toxicology and environmental chemistry (i.e. drug metabolism, dose response curves, chemical behavior in environmental compartments, target organ toxicity). 152 Environmental Science with Biology Emphasis: Requirements for the Major ENV 100 Environmental Studies Seminar 1 credit ENV 200 Introduction to Environmental Science 4 credits ENV 230 Restoration Ecology 4 credits ENV 270 Geospatial Analysis Using GIS 4 credits ENV 325 Conservation Biology 4 credits ENV 330 Ecosystems and Ecological Design 4 credits ENV 380 Environmental Problem Solving 2 credits ENV 490 Environmental Science Capstone 2 credits ENV 495 Independent Research 2 credits BIOL 200/200L Intro Biology: Flow of Energy and Lab 4 credits BIOL 201/201L Intro Biology: Flow of Biol Information and Lab 4 credits BIOL 305 Ecology 4 credits CHEM 220 General Chemistry I 4 credits CHEM 230 General Chemistry II 4 credits CHEM 300 Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry 4 credits One of the following: POLS 224/ENV 224 Environmental Politics 4 credits ECON 333/ENV 333 Environmental Economics 4 credits PHIL 321 Environmental Ethics 4 credits HIST 441 Environmental History 4 credits PSY 313 Ecopsychology 4 credits One of the following: ENV 344 Environmental Toxicology 2 credits AND ENV 361 Environmental Toxicology Methods 1 credit ENV 320 Adv. Tropical Environmental Biology 4 credits BIOL 308 Microbiology 4 credits BIOL 316 Plant Biology 4 credits BIOL 330 Genetics 4 credits BIOL 345 Marine Biology 4 credits BIOL 420 Vertebrate Zoology 4 credits ________________________________________________________________________________________ TOTAL: 58-59 credits Restrictions: In order to receive an Environmental Science degree with an emphasis in Biology from Pacific University, a student must complete ENV 490 Capstone Experience, and at least 3 upper-division courses. Students cannot receive a degree in both Environmental Science (biology emphasis) and Biology. It is strongly recommended that students include the following courses as part of their curriculum in order to have a solid environmental biology foundation: Genetics Evolution Plant Biology Vertebrate Zoology Microbiology, Cell Biology, or Molecular Biology Additionally Recommended: Introductory Physics or General Physics An introductory statistics course Calculus I and II Environmental Science with Toxicology & Chemistry Emphasis: Requirements for the Major ENV 200 Intro to Environmental Science 4 credits MATH 226 Calculus I 4 credits CHEM 220 General Chemistry I 4 credits CHEM 230 General Chemistry I I 4 credits CHEM 300 Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry 4 credits CHEM 400 Advanced Organic Chemistry 4 credits BIOL 200/200L Intro Biology: Flow of Energy and Lab 4 credits BIOL 201/201L Intro Biology: Flow of Biol Information and Lab 4 credits 153 PHY 202 & 204 Introductory Physics I & II 8 credits OR PHY 232 & 242 General Physics I & II 8 credits POLS 224/ENV 224 Environmental Politics 4 credits OR ECON 333/ENV 333 Environmental Economics 4 credits ENV 344 Environmental Toxicology 2 credits CHEM 460 Environmental Chemistry 2 credits ENV 361 Methods in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 1 credit ENV 462 Special Topics in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 1 credit ENV 495 Independent Research in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 2 credits ENV 380 Environmental Problem Solving 2 credits ENV 490 Environmental Science Capstone 2 credits Complete either Group I (Toxicology/Pharmacy) or Group II (Environmental Chemistry) Group I (Toxicology/Pharmacy) - Take two of the following courses: CHEM 380 Fundamentals of Biochemistry