Environmental Studies
Overview
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. The mission of the Environmental Studies Department at McDaniel is to promote environmental sustainability through an interdisciplinary academic curriculum anchored in the natural, physical, and social sciences. Finding solutions to environmental problems requires well-trained scientists, researchers, policy makers, planners, resource managers, and specialists who can understand system interactions and develop solutions that draw from a variety of disciplines. We prepare students for this challenge.
McDaniel College participates in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.
Location
Lewis Recitation Hall and Lewis Hall of Science
Contact
Dr. Scott Hardy
Department Chair
(410) 857-2436
Major & Courses
Since environmental concerns are so broad, we designed the Environmental Studies program 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, environmental consultants, environmental health specialists, urban or regional planners, science educators, or naturalists.
Three program tracks include:
Environmental Policy and Management
Environmental Science — Biology
Environmental Science — Chemistry
Students may elect to complete a minor in Environmental Studies too.
Faculty
Assistant Professor and department chair Scott Hardy
(Ph.D., Ohio State University), a former Peace Corps volunteer, teaches courses in Global Environmental Politics, Political Ecology, Sustainability environmental policy, sustainability, natural resource management. Challenging his students to get involved and identify ways to reduce the college’s carbon footprint, Dr. Hardy’s current studies focus on the connections among actors and institutions within networks of regional governance, and how these lead to patterns of community organizing, environmental management and public policy.
Assistant Professor Mona Becker
(Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook), teaches Environmental Problem Solving, Environmental Geology, Energy and the Environment, Wetlands Chemistry and other environmental science courses and takes frequent excursions into the field with students to explore environmental topics firsthand. An avid proponent of service-learning, Dr. Becker and Chemistry professor Melanie Nilsson are conducting studies on several Lakota reservations in South Dakota to explore academic and service-learning opportunities.
Resources
Each year graduating seniors in the Environmental Studies Department complete a capstone project focusing on their interests. Many students have investigated topics regarding ways McDaniel College can use alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power to become more sustainable. After graduation these students will be prepared to work as policy analysts, science researchers, environmental consultants, environmental health specialists, urban or regional planners, science educators, or naturalists. Our current graduates already serve in a variety of local, state, and federal agencies, educational institutions, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
A sample of recent student-faculty research collaboration includes:
| Student | Faculty | Topic |
| Shea Beitler-Akman |
Dr. Scott Hardy Dr. Mona Becker |
Institutional Analysis of Water Resource Management in the Middle East |
| Melissa Bollman |
Dr. Scott Hardy Dr. Mona Becker |
Institutional Rules In Action: A Multi-Level Analysis of Costa Rica's PES Program |
| Jenny Wallace |
Dr. Scott Hardy Dr. Mona Becker |
Paying for the Goods: Enviromental Services in Central America |
| Josh Thomas |
Dr. Scott Hardy Dr. Mona Becker |
Community Recycling in Westminster MD: A Closer Look At Single Stream |
| Ben Clemm |
Dr. Scott Hardy Dr. Mona Becker |
Climate Change and the Evolution of Stormwater Management |
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 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).
Field Research
Thanks to a generous grant from the Margaret A Cargill Foundation exceptional students are provided the opportunity to conduct field research at exciting locations around the world. Past students have worked with the Panthera Organization protecting wildlife habitats in Myanmar, and partnered with scientists in South Africa to map conservation corridors
You might also be interested in joining the Environmental Action Club and/or belong to the Environmental Studies Honor Society. These two student groups often work together to organize activities such as tree plantings in local parks, Earth Day celebrations on campus, and Recyclemania — a nationwide recycling contest between college campuses.
McDaniel also has a local chapter of the Green Leaf 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.