A Day in the Life of a New York Scientis

Day in the Life of a Scie

NY based scientists conduct enriching laboratory- and field-based research on a variety of topics related to environmental science. In this course we will visit various field and lab sites to learn about the different methodologies utilized by these scientists. With hands-on experiments and data collection you will experience a day in the life of a scientist, develop new skills, and explore various career paths.

• F 6 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
• 2 points

FORESTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

FORESTS AND ENVIRNMNTL CH

Prerequisites: Enrollment limited to 16 students. One year of college-level science. Primarily for Environmental Majors, Concentrators and Minors. Lecture, laboratory and field study of regional forest types from upland to coast and from urban to rural, forest ecosystem services, impacts of land-use and climate change on forests, reconstruction of past forests, forest pests, forest fires and forest conservation (corridors).  Field trip sites for data collection may include:  maritime, pine barrens, eastern deciduous and NYC urban forests.   Format: lecture, student presentations, short labs, data collection/analysis and field trips (some on a weekend day in April in place of the week day meeting). 

• R 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
  CULPA: 14 h-index: 5 Info
• 3 points

BIRD,PLANT &LAND-USE DYNAMICS

Prerequisites: Enrollment limited to 16 students. One year of college-level science. Primarily for Environmental Majors, Concentrators and Minors. This class looks at the response of wildlife (birds and plants) to climate change and land-use issues from the end of the last glaciation to the present. Case study topics are: (1) land-use and climate change over time: a paleoenvironmental perspective, (2) environmental transformations: impact of invasive plants and birds and pathogens on local environments and (3) migration of Neotropical songbirds between their wintering and breeding grounds: land-use, crisis and conservation. We visit wildlife refuges along a rural-suburban-urban gradient in order to observe and measure the role refuges play in conservation.  Format: lecture, student presentations, short labs, data collection/analysis and field trips (some on a weekend day in April in place of the week day meeting). 

• T 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
  CULPA: 14 h-index: 5 Info
• 3 points

Urban Ecosystems

URBAN ECOSYSTEMS

Urban Ecosystems will cover scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand complex systems and the natural and social-ecological relationships at work in cities. You will learn the basics of ecological process and patterns of ecosystems especially applied in cities, understand how humans interact with and impact ecological processes and patterns in cities, and explore approaches for dealing with current and future urban challenges. Format: Lecture, discussion, small group work, field trips

• TR 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Elizabeth Cook
  CULPA: 1 h-index: 11 Info
• 3 points

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Process-oriented introduction to the law and its use in environmental policy and decision-making. Origins and structure of the U.S. legal system. Emphasis on litigation process and specific cases that elucidate the common law and toxic torts, environmental administrative law, and environmental regulation through application and testing of statutory law in the courts. Emphasis also on the development of legal literacy, research skills, and writing.

• F 8:40 a.m.-11:10 a.m.
• Instructor: Dana Neacsu
  h-index: 8 Info
• 3 points

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

• F 8:40 a.m.-11:10 a.m.
• Instructor: Dana Neacsu
  h-index: 8 Info
• 3 points

BIG DATA WITH PYTHON

Big Data is changing how we interact with and understand the environment. Yet analyzing Big Data requires new tools and methods. Students will learn to use Python programming to analyze and visualize large environmental and earths systems data sets in ways that Excel is not equipped to do. This will include both time series and spatial analyses with programming occurring interactively during class and assignments designed to strengthen methods and results. Students will learn to write code in Python, plot, map, sub-select, clean, organize, and perform statistical analyses on large global scale data sets, using the data in analysis, and take any data set no matter how large or complicated.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Brian Mailloux
  CULPA: 10 h-index: 36 Info
• 3 points

ENVIR SCIENCE SENIOR SEM II

Guided, independent, in-depth research culminating in the senior thesis in the spring. Includes discussion about scientific presentations and posters, data analysis, library research methods and scientific writing. Students review work in progress and share results through oral reports. Weekly seminar to review work in progress and share results through oral and written reports. Prerequisite to EESC W3901.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• 3 points