CLASS ACT: Environmental Capstone Seminar (EVS 400)

Offers Opportunity for Collaboration on Real World (and Albright) Environmental Issues

Team-taught by professors in the Sociology and Biology Departments, EVS 400 allows students to address real world environmental issues. Topics and projects presented in the course depend on student and faculty interests as well as the nature of current events relating to the environment. This semester, in addition to work on a management plan for Neversink Mountain in Reading, Pa., students are working on a sustainability assessment for Albright.

What faculty say:
"One of the unique aspects of this course is it serves as the capstone for two related, but distinct, areas of study: environmental science and environmental studies. The students from both areas bring their combined skill sets to bear on the issue in a collaborative manner. This year, the two projects are the Sustainability Assessment for Albright College and the Neversink Mountain Management plan. The first will be used by the campus community to address the issues with the newly adopted Sustainability Plan while the second will be used by Berks County Conservancy in developing a community-based management plan for Neversink. Both projects require input from the social sciences, humanities and natural sciences." -Stephen Mech, Ph.D., associate professor of biology

"Students learn through hands-on experience conducting research that utilizes many of the various concepts and skills they have learned about and developed during their time at Albright. Environmental studies is an inherently interdisciplinary field and therefore I believe having the environmental science and environmental studies students work together on a research project in their capstone is extremely beneficial. It allows them to further develop the collaborative skills needed to be successful contributors to the burgeoning field of environmental studies." -Brian Jennings, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology

What students say:
"This class incorporates all of my previous knowledge learned throughout my college career and now I am able to put it to everyday use. It's a good feeling knowing I can apply what I learned to practical situations such as helping manage and conserve a mountain." - Alyssa Deiss '11

"The course has been both challenging and rewarding. We are working to assess Albright's current sustainability. It feels good to be able to give back to the college." - Sarah Bogue '11

Required text:
There is no required text for this course. Instead, the class reads literature chosen by the students.