Kelly Chinners Reiss
School of Natural Resources and Environment
Internationalizing EVS3000 Environmental Science
Environmental science aims to understand complex issues dealing with humans and the environment with a focus on problem solving through a trans-disciplinary approach. This proposal focuses on internationalizing the content of an existing course, EVS3000 Environmental Science, a core course required for environmental science majors through the School of Natural Resources and Environment. EVS3000 focuses on the interactions of humans and their environment, Earth's resources, pollution, and environmental management with course content separated into three core topics:
1. Human Population, Systems Thinking, Agriculture and the Environment
2. Energy Basics, Fossil Fuels, and Alternative Energies
3. Pollution and Control: Water Resources, Atmosphere, and Climate
Funds will be used to gather internationally focused literature highlighting case studies on approaches to understanding and managing environmental problems. Exposing students to global environmental science issues will further prepare them for jobs in a global work force. Identification of specific international issues of interest include population growth, resource use, desertification, and urbanization in rapidly developing regions; global energy resources with a focus on comparing environmental and economic costs; availability of clean water for human populations; and global implications of climate change. Further, this grant will facilitate cooperation with undergraduate environmental science students at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU). HPU provides an excellent opportunity for expanding EVS3000 curriculum as it will allow students from distant US Universities to identify and discuss global environmental science issues. Desired outcomes include a supplementary reading list for individual essay assignments, development of a group project, and collaboration with undergraduate students at HPU.