Environmental Science

The need to preserve the Earth's natural resources makes environmental science a field of critical demand. Environmental science is a diverse, interdisciplinary field encompassing art, science and policy related to topics including agriculture, ecosystems, economics and toxicology.

The Stetson University environmental science program offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science tracks. The B.S. program involves the study of environmental issues from a natural science perspective with an emphasis on nature conservation. The B.A. program involves the study of environmental issues from a social science perspective with a focus on policy and culture.

What makes the program distinctive?

Internships, community based projects and field study are hallmarks of the program, which is a multidisciplinary effort organized through the Department of Geography and Environmental Science.

Academics and Research

Independent research

Students conduct research on diverse topics including the environmental impacts of surfing, national climate change policy, climate change adaptation, wildlife demographics and environmental education.

Facilities and opportunities

Students have access to the G.I.S. computer lab, field studies laboratory and equipment, GPS and the associated labs and equipment from member departments like biology and chemistry.

Preparation for graduate study

Students can prepare for many different fields of graduate study, including but not limited to environmental law, international development, environmental engineering, urban planning and management, wildlife conservation and environmental education.

Awards and Recognition

Distinguished faculty

The environmental science faculty come from departments in natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Faculty are involved in diverse projects including greenhouse gas and sustainability auditing, cultural conservation among the Maya, limnology research, native plant ecology, American cultural studies and herpetology. Several faculty members have been recognized with Hand Research Awards. Faculty include:

• J. Anthony Abbott, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; political ecology, Latin America, sustainability, renewable energy systems and policy, carbon accounting, sustainable agriculture
• William Ball, Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia; sustainable communities, political theory, community politics
• Cynthia C. Bennington, Ph.D., West Virginia University; plant population genetics and evolutionary biology
• Paul J. Croce, Ph.D., Brown University; American politics and culture, political and ideological trends, popular culture, environmental issues, science and religion
• Terry M. Farrell, Ph.D., Oregon State University; ecology and environmental science
• Melissa A. Gibbs, Ph.D, University of Delaware; developmental biology and spring fish ecology
• William Tandy Grubbs, Ph.D., Duke University; physical chemistry, study of polymers and their properties by laser interferometry and various forms of spectroscopy
• Peter G. May, Ph.D., University of Florida; vertebrate and insect ecology, ecology, natural history of birds (website)
• Mary Sanders Pollock, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; Victorian literature, nature writing, science writing
• Kimberly D. S. Reiter, Ph.D., University of Virginia; environmental history
• John K. Schorr, Ph.D., Brown University; community-based research, sociology of disaster
• Alicia S. Schultheis, Ph.D., Virginia Tech University; molecular ecology, freshwater macroinvertebrates
• Kirsten Ann Work, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma; aquatic ecology and conservation
• John T York, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; inorganic chemistry, computational modeling and synthetic studies of small molecule activation by biologically inspired transition metal complexes

Grant-funded research

One of the ways Stetson University fosters excellence in undergraduate programs is through the Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience (S.U.R.E.) program. Each year undergraduate scholars are selected in a university-wide competition for grants to work with a faculty mentor on a summer research project.

Undergraduate awards and honors

Graduating seniors with exceptional performance are recognized annually. In addition, one student is recognized each year with the Rachel Carson Award for exceptional work in environmental conservation and activism.

Beyond the Classroom

Summer internships

Students participate in internships with public or private institutions to hone skills and apply experience. In the past, students have interned for the Florida State Parks System, the USDA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, along with many other public and private institutions.

After Stetson

Diverse careers

Our alumni have studied at Princeton University, Stetson University College of Law, Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Florida, among others. They work as geographic information scientists, environmental consultants, teachers, lawyers, environmental engineers and more.