Environmental Sciences & Engineering
Professors Fred Looft, Lauren Matthews, Jeanine Plummer, Reeta Prusty Rao
Enhancing the quality of life by applying scientific and engineering principles to the natural environment is at the heart of this research. We study ways to improve air and water quality, manage waste in its various forms, improve crop yields, develop better consumer products, and make more efficient use of resources.
Environmental Philosophy and History
Professors Constance Clark, Roger Gottlieb, Thomas B. Robertson, John Sanbonmatsu
At the intersection of human interaction and the natural environment is environmental philosophy and history. Students investigate how relationships between people and nature are defined, examine the question of moral obligation, explore the value of resources within societies, and consider the rights of non-humans.
Sustainability Studies
Professors Laureen Elgert, Rob Krueger, Khalid Saeed
The study of environmental, economic, and social concerns facing people locally, regionally, and globally is what makes up sustainability studies. In this interdisciplinary research area, students examine the emphasis each of these concerns receives—and analyze the implications of how that emphasis is distributed among the three.
Environmental Politics
Professors Laureen Elgert, Roger S. Gottlieb, Rob Krueger, John Sanbonmatsu, Ingrid Shockey
The ongoing relationships between political, economic, and social factors shape environmental concerns. Within this framework of environmental politics, researchers explore how local communities, scientists, and other groups with socioeconomic interests make decisions about consuming the natural environment in the context of political, economic, and social demands.