Concern for environment inspires new major |
| Posted by Administrator on Nov 12 2008 at 3:15 PM |
Photo by Tara Purdie
Professor Jeremy Dillion believes that a strong background in environmental science can help students in other areas of study as well. The environmental science minor was added to the 2008-2009 undergraduate catalog.
By Tara Purdie
Antelope Staff
Environmental issues are a growing concern across the nation and students across campus are showing an increasing interest in the environmental fields. The environmental science minor was recently added to the curriculum because of the growing interest expressed by students.
"The environment is in the news every day, and as we saw in the recent elections, it is an important political issue as well. Environmental issues have become part of the curriculum in a variety of academic disciplines, and as a result there are more and more environment-related jobs in these fields of study," sociology, geography and earth sciences professor Jeremy Dillon said.
Our country is expressing heightened environmental concern and having a solid background in the environmental sciences can benefit students in any future career.
"The minor is multi-disciplinary (biology, chemistry and geography) and mostly designed for science majors. But it is important to keep in mind that environment-related jobs and graduate programs are becoming increasingly diverse. A strong background in environmental science can help students in many areas other than science; for example careers in business, industry, teaching, public policy, politics and many others," Dillon said.
The environmental science minor is available in the 2008-2009 undergraduate catalog and because this minor is multi-disciplinary there are more course options available than a typical minor would offer including courses such as wildlife conservation, environmental chemistry, GIS, agronomy, soils, remote sensing and research methods.
"Understanding the science behind environmental issues will be important to your success, whether you want to enter the job market or apply for graduate school. The environmental science minor will help students understand the natural processes which shape our environment, and this in turn is critical to understanding the political, business, educational, and public policy aspects of the environment," Dillon said.
