Environmental Science
The environmental science major is an interdisciplinary program based in the Department of Biology. As an environmental science student, you choose courses from a curriculum that serves your needs and interests while providing a broad background in the liberal arts. You will learn not only the "hard science" necessary to solve environmental problems, but will have the skills to interpret those problems in terms of larger social, political, and/or economic issues. There are four important strengths of our program:
Internships
As an environmental science major, you are encouraged to pursue practical experience in environmentally related professions while still in school. Some students work as departmental assistants, preparing materials for lab courses. Others become faculty research or teaching assistants. Others pursue internships both during the academic year and during the summer working on environmental projects across the country. Our students work with the lab and field equipment they'll need in graduate schools and/or in environmental careers.
Research Opportunities
You will be encouraged to do independent research both on and off campus. The use of investigative laboratories in your coursework will first introduce you to the research experience. Students may pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Students present their findings at an annual College wide research symposium and at scientific meetings like the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. Recent students have published abstracts of their work and have published manuscripts to professional journals.
Students and Faculty Working Together
In the past ten years more than one hundred biology and environmental science majors presented the results of their research at the scientific meetings. Ten have co-authored publications with faculty. At Elizabethtown, students learn about the environment by working in the environment. Students and faculty are currently involved in a long term monitoring project of newly created wetlands on campus. In the Conoy Creek watershed, students are conducting stream monitoring and stream cleanups and have used Geographic Information Systems to map the watershed. And in another long term project in the Conewago Creek watershed, students and faculty are monitoring water quality at six sampling locations and planting and restoring riparian buffers all along the creek..
Study Abroad
Through an affiliation with the School for Field Studies, Elizabethtown College students study abroad in a variety of locations including Kenya, Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Turks and Caicos. In those programs, students spend either part of a summer or an entire semester addressing environmental problems that are present in those countries.
Students interested in this major should consult with Prof. Thomas Murray.
