As an environmental studies major, you'll have many opportunities to participate in research with faculty and you'll find state-of-the-art science equipment here to support your research.
Our equipment and facilities include an advanced geographic information system (GIS) laboratory, ion chromatography analyzer, UV-VIS spectrophotometers, HPLC, atomic absorption unit, a light microscope facility, transmission and scanning electron microscopes, an extensive greenhouse, water quality instruments and a hydraulic flume used to model river hydrodynamics. In addition, the College is encompassed by a 750-acre Arboretum, with numerous nearby freshwater, marine and terrestrial habitats offering a rich diversity of sites for study. Classes and research also take full advantage of the Arboretum's native plant collections and data collection sites for long-term studies of vegetation change. Many research projects incorporate the use of GIS, including both vector and raster-based technologies.
Our freshwater ecology lab maintains interactive databases of chemical, physical and morphological data on lakes in the northeastern U.S. as well as tools to identify microscopic algae.
Research in the field
You might accompany faculty to regional, national and international conferences and symposia, or travel with faculty on research and academic trips. Most students participate in the College's funded internship program in the United States or abroad.