TEACHING AND COURSE MATERIAL

The Department of Science Education and Environmental Studies offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs in environmental studies, marine studies and science education. I serve as the faculty coordinator for both the Marine Studies and Environmental Studies minor programs. I am also a member of the SCSU Graduate Faculty and teach several courses in the Environmental Education MS degree program. I am also a member of the Honors College faculty. Links to each of these academic programs is available from my home page. The courses I teach in each of these degree programs are listed below. Click on each of the course titles to view the respective course syllabus.

I believe I contribute best to improving science education at SCSU in three ways. First, I stress the science in environmental science. The fundamental understanding of the underlying causes of environmental issues is critical to students assessing proposed solutions to these problems. Secondly, I stress learning science by doing science. Most of my courses have a field and /or laboratory component that requires students to do research and make observations concerning the natural world. Finally, I stress doing science that has direct social relevance to coastal Connecticut and the greater New Haven area.

The use of socially relevant environmental problems as a focus for teaching science, particularly the Honors College courses, is fully compatible with the goals of the National Science Foundation SENCER program. Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) was initiated in 2001 under the NAtional Science Foundation's CCLI national dissemination track. SENCER improves science education by focusing on real world problems and, by so doing, extends the impact of this learning across the curriculum to the broader community and society. SENCER goals are to (1) get more students interested and engaged in learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, (2) help students connect STEM learning to their other studies, and (3) strengthen students' understanding of science and their capacity for responsible work and citizenship. One outcome of my participation in the SENCER program is that this philosophy is more deeply embedded in all my courses. Students demonstrate more enthusiasm for learning while investigating issues that are relevant to their lives.

Marine Studies Minor (Undergraduate)

MAR 150 Coastal Marine Studies (4 credits)
Classroom and field activities in marine biology, geology. meteorology, and coastal zone management along Long Island Sound.

MAR 250 Introduction to Marine and Coastal Pollution (3 credits)
Examination of the coastal environment, its physical characteristics, habitats and natural ecosystems, economic uses and development pressures.

Environmental Studies Minor (Undergraduate)

ENV 100 Environmental Science I (3 credits)
An overview of the major scientific concepts that underlie current environmental problems. A multidisciplinary approach to the nature and extent of the pollution jeopardizing our air, water, resources, wildlife, and quality of human life.

ENV 491 Seminar in Environmental and Marine Studies (3 credits)
Systematic analysis of a topic in environmental or marine studies selected by the student with prior instructor approval. Students learn effective research, writing, and oral communication skills culminating with the preparation of a research paper and a formal seminar presentation.

Honors College Program (Undergraduate)

HON 270 Science and Technology: Science on the Connecticut Coast, Investigations of an Urbanized Shoreline (3 credits)
Examination of the geological, biological, physical and chemical processes at work along the CT shoreline and related to environmental as well as social, economic, and political issues.

• 2007 SENCER Model Course - The HON 270 Science Along the Connecticut Coastline course is now featured as a 2007 SENCER model course. This link accesses the complete model course description.
• SENCER E-Newsletter Article The HON 270 course is described in a feature article in the June 2007 SENCER E-Newsletter.

SENCER Regional Conference - (Powerpoint presentaion)

HON 298 Special Topics: Science and Society (3 credits)
This course will focus on the topic of energy and air quality, including the basic science and societal implication of how we use energy. We will examine the consequences of our reliance on fossil-fuels and its resultant impacts on Connecticut air quality.

Environmental Education Masters Degree Program:

EVE 533 Economics of Environmental Problems (3 credits)
Nature and causes of the contemporary environmental crises including the pollution of air, land and water. Environmental economics applies microeconomic analytical tools to analyze problems and to develop policies regarding the environment.

EVE 534 Readings and Research in Environmental Concerns (3 credits)
Research problems in environmental education. Literature of the field. Techniques of analyzing and evaluating information.

EVE 537 Analytic Techniques and Instrumentation (6 credits)
Laboratory and field techniques useful in studying environmental conditions and analyzing environmental situations.

EVE 552 Long Island Sound: Environmental Perspectives (3 credits)
Examination of the environmental history and use of Long Island Sound with emphasis on natural habitats, economic uses and human impacts.

EVE 559 Energy Use and Global Climate Change (3 credits)
Examination of the scientific, social, economic and political aspects of global climate change due to energy production using fossil-fuels.