Course Synopsis

Students will have an integrative experience that allows them to see interconnections between various academic disciplines, and how those multiple perspectives deepen our understanding of environmental issues. Students will develop their understanding by examining international topics such as Aquatic Resources, Forest Fragmentation, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Sustainability, Environmental Justice, with emphasis placed on a comparative study of the topic in North and South America (United States and Peru). The comparative study will allow students to investigate the basis of environmental issues and the effect on appropriate solutions, across the enormous range of cultural and environmental issues provided by the North/South America contexts. Students will work with faculty to develop individual topics relevant to the course theme, spend a week in Peru pursuing individual research during the spring break trip, and finalize the analysis into a seminar paper or other significant term project.

Course Evaluation

The course is designed for a senior seminar experience for students of the Environmental Inquiry minor, as well as those in Geography with environmental interests. Other students are eligible depending on their interests and experience. Evaluation will be based on reviews and discussion of assigned readings, a synthesizing paper tying together two or more course themes, plus one major project or paper, produced in consultation with a participating faculty member. Comprehensive final exam. The field portion of this course will be a comparative experience between the mountains and the rainforests of Peru.