2008 Woodie Awards
With new professors, Environmental Studies Dept. gains footing
By: Jakob Wartman
Issue date: 4/28/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Recent changes in the Environmental Studies (ES) Department, including the hire of two additional faculty members and a proposal for a department chair, has allowed the department to continue its focus on its interdisciplinary approach while building a core faculty.
The department, which has 12 graduating majors, tripled its faculty at the beginning of the 2005-06 school year. Professor and current acting director of the ES Department Brett Smith, who was the sole faculty member, was joined by professor of environmental history Chris Wells and professor of environmental policy and politics Roopali Phadke last fall.
The increase in faculty was a direct result of the college's 2003-04 decision to require all departments to have at least two faculty on staff and a commitment to keep ES as a major, Smith said.
The department has also requested that the college allow for the department to establish a permanent ES chair, a decision the college is expected to make in May, Smith said.
In addition to the new faculty, the ES program now boasts a minor plan in addition to its major.
The new faculty finally provide the major with a group of core professors in addition to the numerous affiliated faculty the department cooperates with in a large amount of its courses. The new hires also separate Macalester's ES department from many other schools, which lack any core faculty members, Smith said.
ES, a largely interdisciplinary major; defines its goals of the program on its website as "emphasizing the need for an interdisciplinary approach to searching for effective remedies to these environmental problems."
This interdisciplinary approach has been a large reason as to why the department has been able to operate with only one core faculty member. ES has been successful in integrating its courses with others to create cross listed and multidisciplinary courses.
The approach is a draw for many ES majors. "I really liked the interdisciplinary approach," ES major Roscoe Sopiwnik '06 said. "There are no major tracks and it is really nice to take classes from all disciplines."
The department, which has 12 graduating majors, tripled its faculty at the beginning of the 2005-06 school year. Professor and current acting director of the ES Department Brett Smith, who was the sole faculty member, was joined by professor of environmental history Chris Wells and professor of environmental policy and politics Roopali Phadke last fall.
The increase in faculty was a direct result of the college's 2003-04 decision to require all departments to have at least two faculty on staff and a commitment to keep ES as a major, Smith said.
The department has also requested that the college allow for the department to establish a permanent ES chair, a decision the college is expected to make in May, Smith said.
In addition to the new faculty, the ES program now boasts a minor plan in addition to its major.
The new faculty finally provide the major with a group of core professors in addition to the numerous affiliated faculty the department cooperates with in a large amount of its courses. The new hires also separate Macalester's ES department from many other schools, which lack any core faculty members, Smith said.
ES, a largely interdisciplinary major; defines its goals of the program on its website as "emphasizing the need for an interdisciplinary approach to searching for effective remedies to these environmental problems."
This interdisciplinary approach has been a large reason as to why the department has been able to operate with only one core faculty member. ES has been successful in integrating its courses with others to create cross listed and multidisciplinary courses.
The approach is a draw for many ES majors. "I really liked the interdisciplinary approach," ES major Roscoe Sopiwnik '06 said. "There are no major tracks and it is really nice to take classes from all disciplines."
Be the first to comment on this story