Environmental Policy and Science

Affiliated Professors: Claycombe, Iglich, Leahy, Neal, and H. Smith; Affiliated Associate Professors Jakoby and Marx; Affiliated Assistant Professors: Hardy (co-coordinator) Harrison and Semu; Visiting Assistant Professor: Kilbourne (cocoordinator); Adjunct Lecturers Flood, Gunther, Orenstein, Terlizzi, and Walker.

Areas of particular teaching interest: Professor Hardy: environmental policy, natural resource management, and watershed management; Professor Harrison: geology, global change climatology, and environmental chemistry; Professor Iglich: filed biology, environmental health; Professor Kilbourne: geology, marine oceanography, climatology, geochemistry; Professor Leahy: comparative politics of Western Europe, developing and communist nations, methodology of comparative politics; Professor Marx: physics education research, energy; Professor Neal: judicial process, political theory, and American political behavior; Professor Semu: globalization and international development, urban studies; Professor Smith: state and local governments, public administration, national and Maryland elections; Lecturer Flood: sustainability and environmental architecture; Lecturer Gunther: environmental regulations and policy; Lecturer Orenstein: GIS, biogeography; Lecturer Terlizzi: water quality, marine botany, bay restoration; Lecturer Walker: Thoreau, environmental history and writing.

Environmental problems arise from the complex interactions between ecological and physical systems, and the social, economic, political and cultural forces that shape the world in which we live. Finding solutions to environmental problems requires well-trained scientists, researchers, policy makers, planners, resource managers, and other specialists who can understand these system interactions and who can develop solutions that draw from a variety of disciplines. To help meet this challenge, our mission is to promote environmental sustainability through an interdisciplinary academic program anchored in both the natural and physical sciences, and in the social sciences.

The Environmental Policy and Science program (EPS) was designed to offer students a liberal arts experience that addresses a diversity of environmental issues, while providing detailed training in specific fields. After graduation, students may pursue graduate studies in a number of disciplines, or follow career paths as policy analysts, science researchers, environmental consultants, environmental health specialists, urban or regional planners, science educators, or naturalists. Our graduates serve in a variety of local, state, or federal agencies, educational institutions, as well as for-profit and notfor-profit organizations.

Specializations in the EPS Major

Students majoring in EPS can choose from several program tracks including Environmental Policy or Environmental Science with an emphasis in either Biology or Chemistry.

After finishing six of the EPS core courses, students may elect one of two strategies:

They may complete the remaining EPS major requirements, choosing additional courses from the Policy specialization or from the Science specializations as indicated below;
They may elect to complete the major requirements for a specific discipline, which through advisement includes selections with environmental relevancy (Political Science or Economics).

Completion of six of the core group also serves as the requirements for the Minor in Environmental Policy and Science.

Internships

McDaniel College’s location in the greater Washington-Baltimore region allows us to offer a number of valuable internship opportunities through government and consulting agencies. We also hope to encourage students to take part in the institution’s Washington Partnership Internship Program. Additionally, there are many opportunities for students to take part in internationally based courses and internships, for example, the Field Studies Program, SIT and the Political Science Semester in Washington, D.C. (either through the American University or through George Washington University).

Honors in Environmental Policy and Science

Honors in EPS will be awarded to graduating seniors who have earned at least at 3.50 grade point average in all courses take in the major and who are recommended by the Department. Recommendation is based on the evaluation of a guided research or internship project completed and presented by the student in their senior year. Students must discuss guidelines with their advisor.

National Honors:

The Green Leaf National Honor Society is a national honor society established to recognize and reward the brightest students throughout the country who are studying some aspect of the natural environment as college undergraduates. Juniors with a 3.75 overall GPA and seniors with a 3.50 overall GPA may apply to the Green Leaf National Honor Society. All applicants must submit, along with the application form available from the Environmental Studies Program, an official copy of their current transcripts, and two letters of recommendation, a one-page resume, and a two to three page personal statement.