Director: Jessica Kleiss

Administrative Specialist: Laura Mundt

Environmental studies situates environmental problems and solutions in a scholarly context, working alongside other academic disciplines to build a more livable world. The field crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries, as a deeper understanding of environmental problems and solutions requires attention to a wide range of concepts and analytical methods that span the sciences and humanities. Our students master contemporary scholarship on environmental problems and solutions, develop cutting-edge computer and analytical skills, and demonstrate leadership in applying relevant scholarship and skills toward the environmental issues of today and tomorrow.

The educational objective of the Environmental Studies Program is to provide resources and cultivate an atmosphere whereby students (1) appreciate the intellectual and practical complexities of environmental problems and solutions, (2) master key concepts and methods of environmental analysis drawn from, and integrating, a broad range of disciplines, and (3) fuse this background knowledge and analytical ability with leadership and communication skills to successfully devise and implement creative, academically grounded solutions to environmental problems.

The Environmental Studies Program benefits from the participation of many departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the law school and Graduate School of Education and Counseling. We offer students opportunities for environmental research, internships, and engagement on campus, in nearby locations such as Tryon Creek State Natural Area and the Portland metropolitan area, in the greater Pacific Northwest, and throughout the world in conjunction with Lewis & Clark's Overseas and Off-Campus Programs. The Environmental Studies Program thus combines intellectual rigor and breadth with practical experience in a vibrant, transdisciplinary field of scholarly inquiry.

A major in environmental studies is appropriate for students who desire future employment in the environmental arena and/or want a broad, systematic liberal arts background to support further scholarly study in related natural science, social science, and humanities fields.

The Major Program

The major includes core courses in environmental studies and breadth courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Core courses are designed to weave together concepts and skills from breadth course fields to build an intellectually coherent understanding of environmental problems and solutions. The core sequence starts with a broad introductory course, followed by development of quantitative and qualitative analytical skills and advanced treatment of environmental theory. It culminates in a senior capstone representing original scholarly research on a topic of practical relevance. An additional core course builds communication, cultural competency, and other skills toward successful public engagement.

Breadth courses in fields including biology, chemistry, English, geology, economics, sociology and anthropology, international affairs, history, philosophy, and religious studies provide important discipline-specific tools for environmental analysis.

Majors receive faculty guidance toward areas of interest relevant to their academic and professional goals, and are encouraged to pursue overseas study, ideally related to these areas of interest, during their third year.

Major Requirements

A minimum of 50 semester credits, distributed as follows:

Core Requirements

• ENVS 160 Introduction to Environmental Studies
• ENVS 220 Environmental Analysis
• ENVS 295 Environmental Engagement
• ENVS 400 Senior Seminar

Breadth Requirements

• 8 credits chosen from the natural science breadth courses listed below. The courses must be taken from different departments.
• 8 credits chosen from the social science breadth courses listed below. The courses must be taken from different departments.
• 8 credits chosen from the arts and humanities breadth courses listed below. The courses must be taken from different departments.

Environmental Studies or Earth Systems Science

• 4 credits chosen from the environmental studies and earth system science elective courses listed below.

Quantitative

• 4 credits chosen from the quantitative courses listed below.

All Lewis & Clark courses intended to fulfill environmental studies major requirements must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of ENVS 244 Practicum.

Minor Requirements

A minimum of 25 semester credits (six courses), distributed as follows:

• ENVS 160 Introduction to Environmental Studies
• ENVS 220 Environmental Analysis
• ENVS 295 Environmental Engagement
• 4 credits chosen from the natural science breadth courses listed below.
• 4 credits chosen from the social science breadth courses listed below.
• 4 credits chosen from the arts and humanities breadth courses listed below.

All Lewis & Clark courses intended to fulfill environmental studies minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

Natural Science Breadth Courses

BIO 201	Biological Core Concepts: Systems
CHEM 100	Perspectives in Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 110	General Chemistry I
ESS 150	Environmental Geology
ESS 170	Climate Science

Social Science Breadth Courses

ECON 260	Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ENVS 460	Topics in Environmental Law and Policy
IA 257	Global Resource Dilemmas
IA 340	International Political Economy
POLS 346	State and Local Politics
SOAN 247	Space, Place, and Landscape
SOAN 265	Critical Perspectives on Development
SOAN 305	Environmental Sociology

Arts and Humanities Breadth Courses

ENG 276	Animals and Animal Rights in Literature
HIST 239	Constructing the American Landscape
HIST 261	Global Environmental History
HIST 388	What's for Dinner
PHIL 215	Philosophy and the Environment
RELS 102	Food and Religion in America
RELS 105	Apocalyptic Imagination

Environmental Studies or Earth System Science Elective Courses

ENVS 311	(Un)Natural Disasters
ENVS 350	Environmental Theory
ENVS 360	Forests
ENVS 490	Topics in Environmental Studies
ESS 270	Issues in Oceanography
ESS 280	The Fundamentals of Hydrology
ESS 290	Topics in Earth System Science
ESS 340	Spatial Problems in Earth System Science

Quantitative Requirement Courses

CS 171	Computer Science I
DSCI 140	Introduction to Data Science
ECON 103	Statistics
HEAL 200	Biostatistics in Public Health
MATH 123	Calculus & Statistics for Modeling the Life Sciences
MATH 131	Calculus I
POLS 201	Research Methods in Political Science
PSY 200	Statistics I

Honors

Students who distinguish themselves academically with a GPA of 3.500 in the major may qualify for honors in environmental studies. Honors candidates work on research-based capstone projects as a part of ENVS 400 Senior Seminar, offered annually in spring semester. Based on the quality of their drafts (thesis or non-thesis outcomes), typically submitted halfway through the semester, select students will be invited to give an oral presentation and defense to ENVS faculty, who will then recommend final edits and make a determination for honors. Honors in environmental studies thus recognizes overall academic performance, distinguished scholarly quality and creativity in the senior capstone project, and a convincing oral defense.

Faculty

Barbara A. Balko. Associate professor of chemistry. Physical Chemistry. PhD 1991 University of California at Berkeley. AB 1984 Bryn Mawr College.

Elizabeth A. Bennett. Joseph M. Ha Associate Professor of International Affairs, director of the political economy program. International political economy, global social movements, voluntary social/environmental regulation, international development global governance. PhD 2014, AM 2010 Brown University. MALD 2008 Fletcher School, Tufts University. BA 2002 Hope College.

Andrew Bernstein. Professor of history. Japanese History. PhD 1999, MPhil 1996, MA 1994 Columbia University. BA 1990 Amherst College.

Greta J. Binford. Professor of biology. Invertebrate zoology, biodiversity, evolution of spider venoms. PhD 2000 University of Arizona. MS 1993 University of Utah. BA 1990 Miami University.

Moriah Bellenger Bostian. Professor of economics and department chair. Environmental and resource economics, econometrics. PhD 2010 Oregon State University. MS 2005 Auburn University. BS 2003 Florida State University.

Maryann Bylander. Associate professor of sociology. Development and globalization, migration, rural livelihoods, microfinance/credit, environment, gender, qualitative and quantitative research methods. PhD 2012, MA 2006 University of Texas at Austin. BA 2003 Rice University.

Julio C. de Paula. Professor of chemistry. Physical Chemistry, Biophysical Chemistry, Nanotechnology. PhD 1987 Yale University. BA 1982 Rutgers University.

Liza Finkel. Associate professor of education. Science education, teacher education, equity in STEM education, women in science, democratic education. PhD 1993 University of Wisconsin-Madison, MS 1986 University of Michigan, BS 1981 George Washington University.

Kurt Fosso. Professor of English. British Romantic Literature, Critical Theory, Classical Backgrounds. PhD 1993, MA 1988 University of California at Irvine. BA 1987 University of Washington.

Reiko Hillyer. Associate professor of history and department chair, director of the ethnic studies program. U.S. South, African American History, History of the Built Environment. PhD 2006, MPhil 2001, MA 1999 Columbia University. BA 1991 Yale University.

Jessica M. Kleiss. Associate professor of environmental studies and program director. Oceanography, interface between the atmosphere and the ocean. PhD 2009 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego. BS 2000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Robert A. Kugler. Paul S. Wright Professor of Christian Studies. Judeo-Christian Origins, Dead Sea Scrolls, Early Jewish Literature. PhD 1994 University of Notre Dame. MDiv 1984 Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. BA 1979 Lewis & Clark College.

Bob Mandel. Professor of international affairs and department chair. Conflict and security, global resource issues, transnational studies, psychological aspects of international affairs, research methods, international relations theory. PhD 1976, MPhil 1975, MA 1974 Yale University. AB 1972 Brown University.

Margaret Rowan Metz. Associate professor of biology. Plant Community Ecology, Tropical Ecology, Disease Ecology. PhD 2007 University of California at Davis. AB 1998 Princeton University.

Susanna Morrill. Associate professor of religious studies. Religion in America. PhD 2002, MA 1993 University of Chicago. BA 1989 Bryn Mawr College.

Jay Odenbaugh. James F. Miller Professor of Humanities. Ethics, Philosophy and the Environment, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, Logic. PhD 2001 University of Calgary. MA 1996 Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. BA 1994 Belmont University.

Bruce M. Podobnik. Associate professor of sociology. Environmental sociology, social theory, mixed methods, the sociocultural dimensions of activism, the social roots of happiness. PhD 2000, MA 1994 Johns Hopkins University. BA 1991 University of California at Santa Cruz.

James D. Proctor. Professor of environmental studies. PhD 1992, MA 1989, MS 1989 University of California at Berkeley. BA 1980 University of Oregon.

Alana Rader. Assistant professor of environmental science. Geography. PhD 2022 Rutgers University. MSc 2017, BSc 2014 University of Victoria.

Karen Russell. Adjunct Legal Faculty. Environmental law and policy. BA 1985 University of Washington. JD 1990 Lewis and Clark Law School.

Elizabeth B. Safran. Associate professor of geological science, director of the Environmental Studies Program, coordinator of the Earth System Science Program. Geomorphology. PhD 1998 University of California at Santa Barbara. MSc 1993 University of Washington. BA 1989 Harvard University.

Ellen C. Seljan. Professor of political science, director of the data science program. American politics and public policy. PhD 2010 University of California at San Diego. BA 2004 Drew University.

Courses