Environmentally-Themed Courses Being Offered in Fall 2015!
Biology
180: Conservation of the Environment (GE IIA Natural Science-Biology)
Instructor: Kelly Murray
An introduction to natural resource conservation. Problems associated with the use and abuse of America's
resources are studied in an ecological framework. Resource management methods are explored.
328: Conservation Biology
Instructor: Paula Kleintjes Neff
Scientific basis for restoring, maintaining, and protecting biological diversity. Explore worldwide efforts in research,
education, and advocacy aimed at conserving genes, species, and ecosystems and their ecological and evolutionary
processes.
361: Biology of Microorganisms
Instructor: Sasha Showsh
Study of microbial taxonomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, and morphology with environmental, industrial, agricultural,
and medical applications.
Economics
375: Urban Economics
Instructor: DaCosta
An examination of the economic performance of urban economies, including theory, problems and policies. Includes the
application of economics to the intricacies of such urban problems as poverty, housing, transportation, pollution and the
urban environment.
English
305: Communicating Scientific Subjects to General Audiences
Instructor: Stephanie Turner
Principles and strategies for communicating scientific subjects to non-expert readers. Students explore science's
persuasive, ethical role in society, and produce documents that reflect an understanding of the benefits of a scientifically
knowledgeable public.
Environmental Public Health
110: Introduction to Environmental Health (GE V University Wide; Wellness Theory)
Instructors: Crispin Pierce, Laura Suppes
Health-oriented problems in the environment with attention directed to air and water pollution, solid waste, housing,
occupational health and safety, food sanitation, animal zoonoses, ecology of health and disease, radiological health,
energy, and global environmental health.
441: Water and Wastewater
Instructor: Laura Suppes
Investigative procedures, sampling techniques, analysis and treatment of water and wastewater. Emphasis on water
pollution, aquatic nuisances, drinking water quality, on-site waste disposal, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment,
private wells, and groundwater contamination.
490: Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment
Instructor: Crispin Pierce
Examination of the principles, theories, and applications of human environmental toxicology through investigation of
chemical, cellular, physiological, environmental, and ecological levels. Introduction to contemporary health risk
assessment methods.
Geography
104: The Physical Environment (GE IIC Natural Science-Geography; Lab Science)
Instructors: Garry Running, Harry Jol
Introduction to the spatial relations and interactions among the Earth's dynamic systems--atmosphere, biosphere,
lithosphere, and hydrosphere (weather, climate, landforms, soils, and ecosystems).
178: Conservation of the Environment (GE IIC Natural Science-Geography)
Instructors: Jeff DeGrave, Karen Mumford, Cyril Wilson, Sean Hartnett
The use and abuse of environmental resources and the problems involved in their management and
conservation.
270: Land Use: Issues and Problems
Instructor: Ingolf Vogeler
Basic concepts and philosophies of land use, including techniques and methodology of land use analysis.
361: Environmental Hazards
Instructor: Harry Jol
The course focuses on environmental hazards and disasters (including geomorphic, atmospheric, and human): how the
normal processes of the earth concentrate their energies and deal destructive blows to humans and their structures.
Geology
115: Environmental Geology (GE IID Natural Science-Geology; Lab Science)
Instructors: Lori Snyder, Katherine Grote
Study of the physical environment. Emphasis on earth processes which affect humans such as rivers, erosion,
groundwater, landslides, and earthquakes. Methods are examined for reducing or eliminating the harmful effects of human
interaction with the geologic environment.
History
346: American Environmental History
Instructor: David Soll
Examines interactions between human societies and the natural world in what is now the United States. Through readings
and several field trips students will learn the essential elements of American Environmental History.
Honors
302.501: Tracking the Campus Carbon Footprint
Instructor: Jim Boulter
to interact with a range of community engagement activities and experience how to build the successful collaborations
essential for addressing the social, economic, and political challenges facing local neighborhoods, communities, and our
world.
303.504: Ecologial Literacy
Instructor: Tarique Niazi
Students will gain both breadth and depth in environmental knowledge. A select set of major environmental challenges
will be discussed, analyzed, and critiqued from an array of disciplinary perspectives. Students will also choose a topic of
interest and research it throughout the semester. Each week they will present their research and have their subject matter
discussed in class. The course will create ecologically literate scholars who have begun to develop expertise on important
topics.
304.501: Wisconsin Farm Stories
Instructor: David Soll
This interdisciplinary course will provide students with oral history skills that will enable them to conduct and interpret
interviews with regional farmers and gain an understanding of agricultural history in northern Wisconsin. In conjunction
with community partners, students will develop their relationships to local people, food, and environments. In lecture and
discussion students will explore the agricultural and environmental history of Wisconsin and develop oral history skills in
a weekly lab. Students will apply this knowledge in the field by conducting interviews with local farmers and food
producers. The class will work collaboratively to determine the most appropriate means of sharing these stories with a
public audience. The central research question students will explore through this work is: How has food production and
food consumption in Wisconsin over the past 80 years influenced community development, especially interracial and
intercultural dynamics? This course may be of particular interest to students interested in environmental studies, history,
cultural and ethnic studies, agriculture and farming, and social justice.
Note: Students need to enroll concurrently in HNRS 304-501 & HNRS 395-501.
Physics
205: Physics of Renewable Energy (GE IIE Natural Science-Physics; Lab Science)
Instructor: Kim Pierson
Explores the basic physics principles behind various types of renewable energy sources. Discusses impact renewable
energy sources have on mitigating global warming and climate change.
Sociology
484: Environmental Sociology
Instructor: Tarique Niazi
The course reviews sociological theories that explain environmental changes; it concentrates on sociological causes,
consequences, and responses to such environmental challenges as climate change, ozone depletion, acid rain, land-airwater pollution, deforestation, desertification, and interstate and intrastate conflicts.
Additional Courses for Minors in the Spring
Biology 376: Aquatic Ecology
Instructor: Todd Wellnitz
Geology 315: Hydrogeology I
Instructor: Katherine Grote
Geography 104: The Physical Environment (GE IIC Natural Science-Geography; Lab Science)
Instructor(s): Garry Running, Harry M. Jol
Geography 200: Geography Techniques
Instructor(s): Ezra Zeitler
Geography 335: Geographic Information Systems
Instructors: Jeff DeGrave
Geography 338: Remote Sensing of the Environment
Instructor: Cyril Wilson
Geography 350: Soils and the Environment
Instructor: Garry Running
Geography 368: Geography Field Seminar
Instructor: Ezra Zeitler
Geography 401: Capstone Seminar
Instructor: Ingolf Vogeler
Geology 315: Hydrogeology I
Instructor: Katherine Grote