Concentrations
& Advising
- New
ENSP students begin as Undeclared ENSP majors in the College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources,
where they will be guided through an exploratory process. Students who want to declare ENSP and have completed 40 or more credits must submit a draft graduation plan in advance. Please review "Becoming an ENSP Major" prior to your first advising meeting.
- Once ENSP students declare a concentration,
they move to the College and department sponsoring the concentration;
and are advised by a faculty member in their discipline.
Advising
Resources
Areas
of Concentration
Undeclared
in ENSP
All new
ENSP students meet with Dr. Whittemore, who will guide them through an exploratory process and prepare a graduation plan. ENSP students are encouraged
to declare their concentration by 40 credits. After that, they are advised by a faculty member
in the major and college sponsoring the Concentration. If you would like to explore ENSP as a possible
major, please go HERE first, then contact Dr. Whittemore.
Advisor:
Dr. Wendy Whittemore, Assoc. Dir., Environmental Science & Policy
0216 Symons Hall
(301)405-8571
Email: wwhitte@umd.edu
Note
--> Please send me THREE
different days/times that would be good for you to meet and I will e-mail back to confirm one of them. Remember
to include your UID so I can pull your transcript and prepare
for our meeting.
Biodiversity
& Conservation Biology
Biodiversity
is defined at three levels: Genetic diversity (the variety of
genetic information contained in all organisms), Species diversity
(the variety of different living species) and Ecosystem diversity
(the variety of habitats, the species that live in the habitat,
and ecological processes). Biodiversity is invaluable to the process
of evolution since it represents the pool of resources from which
evolution can select; it is the key to adaptation to changes,
since the greater the biodiversity, the more resilient an ecosystem
will be to recover from natural disasters or human intrusions.
This concentration provides a background in the biological principles
that influence the diversity of life, especially those that create
and those that reduce diversity.
Requirements - HERE
Sample
graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor:
Dr. Jeffrey Jensen, Biological
Sciences <--- Dr. Jensen is assuming primary responsibility for ENSP-Biodiversity advising; please contact him first for advising and related questions. Thanks!
2229 Biology/Psychology Building
(301) 405-6904 <-- During pre-registration periods.
(301) 405-5912 <-- At all other times.
E-mail: jensen@umd.edu
Advisor:
Ms. Penny Koines, Biological
Sciences
1227 H.J. Patterson Hall
(301) 405-6904 <-- During pre-registration periods.
(301) 405-1598 <-- At all other times.
E-mail: pkoines@umd.edu
Earth
Surface Processes
The
earth's surface does not exist in a static, unchanging "natural"
condition interrupted only by the work of humans, but instead
it is a dynamic system of which humans are a part. Knowledge about
changes to the Earth's surface and the underlying processes that
induce them has enormous impact on how society responds to these
changes and, ultimately, the cost of responding to change. This
concentration helps students achieve a whole-system understanding
of the interrelationships among earth surface processes, ecological
systems, and human activities. MATH 140 is required in this Concentration.
Requirements - HERE
Sample
Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor:
Dr. John Merck,
Geology
1119 Geology Building
(301)405-2808 or (301)405-4379
E-mail: jmerck@umd.edu
To
meet with Dr. Merck:
*
Consult my schedule web page: http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/advising/
* Pick out your top three half-hour time slots and list
them in order in an e-mail to me.
* I'll schedule you for an appointment and confirm by e-mail
Caveats:
* Don't consider the appointment firm until you hear back
from me.
* Don't try to sign up for an appointment less than 24 hrs
in advance.
* I'll try to keep my schedule up to date. I will probably
update it daily, but no more than that. See you soon!
Environment
& Agriculture
Both
locally and internationally, there is increasing concern about
how humans manage soils, use water, raise animals, and modify
the genetic base of crops. This concentration prepares students
to work in agroecology, agricultural land management and conservation,
integrated pest management, and plant protection and production
science. There is also a sub-concentration appropriate for those
wishing to work internationally with organizations like the Peace
Corps.
Environmental
Economics
Economics
is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Economics
is not simply about profits or money. It applies anywhere constraints
are faced, so that choices may be made. Economists study how incentives
affect people's behavior. Environmental and natural resource economics
is the application of the principles of economics to the study
of how environmental and natural resources are developed and managed. To enhance career options in economic analysis, MATH 140 is strongly recommended.
Requirements - HERE
Sample Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor:
Dr. Howard Leathers, Agricultural and Resource Economics
2200 Symons Hall
(301)405-1291 <--- please call the AREC office**
Email: hleathers@arec.umd.edu
** When you call, identify yourself as an ENSP student and explain that Dr. Leathers is your assigned advisor. He usually meets students by appointment on MW afternoons; but if this doesn't work for you, then you can e-mail him to explain your scheduling situation.
Environmental
Restoration & Management
The
term "environmental restoration" refers to the process
of restoring the functional aspects of a given ecosystem to a
semblance of its pre-disturbance state. The reasons for the disturbance
vary greatly, but are, in almost every case, caused by humans.
This concentration provides students with an integrated background
in biological and environmental sciences to build a foundation
for understanding the principles and philosophies of restoring
and managing environmental and ecological systems, such as beaches,
wetlands, aquifers and streams. In addition, students will be
prepared to work in such areas as watershed management; deforestation
and reforestation; flood control; brownfields
redevelopment; land disposal of solid wastes; and land use development at the interfaces of
urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Global
Environmental Change
Global
climate change presents complex challenges in many respects. First,
the science of climate change involves atmospheric, ocean, land,
and social sciences. Second, policy responses involve difficult
economic decisions and complicated implementation mechanisms.
Third, the implications of climate change, for example, for sea
level rise, are uneven throughout the world, raising questions
about who should pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and who
suffers from climate change. Stratospheric ozone and climate change
are two examples of global environmental issues. Others, such
as loss of biodiversity, are equally complex. This science-oriented concentration prepares
students to addresses the scientific underpinnings, societal impacts,
and policy responses to global environmental issues. To take full advantage of the physical sciences offered and/or to prepare for a science-oriented career, MATH 140 is strongly recommended.
Requirements - HERE
Sample
Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor: Dr. Eric Kasischke, Geography
1153 Lefrak
(301)405-2179
Email: ekasisch@umd.edu <-- Dr. Kasischke and Dr. Luna work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Advisor: Dr. Ron Luna, Geography
2108 LeFrak
(301)405-4073
Email: ronaldl@umd.edu <-- Dr. Kasischke and Dr. Luna work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Land
Use
"Land"
is where "soil" and "people" meet; and there
are often competing demands for land, for example, agriculture,
forestry, rangeland, conservation, settlement, and recreation.
Demographic and socioeconomic changes and the increasing demand
for food and housing are resulting in extensive and intensive
land use changes. Further, while much land use change takes place
locally, its implications can be regional and global. For these
reasons, the study of land use is becoming increasingly important
and requires a multidisciplinary approach. The revised concentration
provides students with a background in the ecological, cultural,
regional, and international dimensions of land use, while developing
broad technical skills in Geographic Information Science and remote
sensing. As a result, this concentration prepares students for
positions in land use planning, sustainable land development,
and land conservation.
Requirements - HERE <-- For students declaring Land Use in Spring 2010 and AFTER.
Sample
Graduation Plan - HERE
Requirements - HERE <-- For students who declared Land Use PRIOR to Spring 2010.
Sample
Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor:
Dr. Martha Geores,
Geography
1135 LeFrak Hall
(301) 405-4064
E-mail: mgeores@geog.umd.edu <-- Dr. Geores and Dr. Luna work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Advisor: Dr. Ron Luna, Geography
2108 LeFrak
(301)405-4073
Email: ronaldl@umd.edu <-- Dr. Geores and Dr. Luna work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Marine & Coastal Management
Development of coastal land, some of the most expensive land available, must increasingly account for environmental effects, the likelihood of storm damage, and the increasingly complex evolution of legal concepts in the face of rapidly changing science. From assessing the impact of one-quarter of the world’s population on the coastal ocean to wise stewardship of fishery and other commercial resources, the career potential for undergraduates trained in ocean and coastal science is large. To prepare for this, students will learn the basic principles of oceanography and littoral processes, and their relationship to meteorological conditions and forcing; learn about factors influencing biological productivity in the coastal zone; utilize geospatial analysis and data assimilation to become familiar with computer modeling; and gain a background in environmental policy as it relates to marine and coastal management and land use. In order to take full advantage of coursework required in the physical sciences, Marine and Coastal Management students will complete MATH 140. Explore the "Student's Guide to Marine & Coastal Management" - HERE.
Requirements - HERE
Sample Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor: Dr. Michael Kearney, Geography
1157 Lefrak Hall
(301)405-4057
E-mail: mkearney01@yahoo.com <-- Dr. Kearney and Dr. Luna work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Advisor: Dr. Ron Luna, Geography
2108 LeFrak
(301)405-4073
Email: ronaldl@umd.edu <-- Dr. Kearney and Dr. Luna work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Politics
& Policy
This
concentration gives students an understanding of the forces shaping
political behavior, the nature and workings of political institutions,
and the ways in which both domestic and international structures
constrain environmental policy responses. Explore the Politics
& Policy homepage - HERE.
Requirements - HERE <-- For students declaring P&P in Spring 2010 and AFTER.
Sample Graduation Plan - HERE
Requirements - HERE <-- For students declaring P&P in PRIOR to Spring 2010.
Sample Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor: Dr. Ken Conca, Government and Politics
3114J Tydings Hall
Phone: (301)405-4125
E-mail: kconca@gvpt.umd.edu <-- Dr. Conca and Allison work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Advisor: Ms. Allison Berland>, Government and Politics
3114D Tydings
(301)405-7490
E-mail: aberland@gvpt.umd.edu <-- Dr. Conca and Allison work as a team -- Please schedule an appointment with BOTH advisers as soon as you enter the concentration.
Society
& Environmental Issues
Human
societies have greatly transformed the environment from the local
to the global and the transformed environments are increasingly
affecting human societies. In order to understand these changes
this concentration focuses on how societies are organized and
operate and how they interact with the environment. It offers
a basic understanding of stratification, culture and norms, public
opinion, the polity, the economy, population and demography, and
social change in order to help interpret the interaction of environment
and society. Here is another very good description of the problems studied by those in "society and environmental issues" (click HERE).
Requirements - HERE
Sample
Graduation Plan - HERE
Advisor:
Dr. Kurt Finsterbusch, Sociology
3101 Art-Sociology Bldg.
(301)405-6397 <-- Please call rather than e-mail.
Leave your name, number, and 3 days/times you can meet, so
Dr. Finsterbusch can get back to you with a specific message.
E-mail:kurt@socy.umd.edu
Soil,
Water, & Land Resources
Soil
forms an essential part of the environment, affecting or controlling
most living things. Soil science draws from geology, geography
and a variety of other natural and life sciences, focuses land
use management at the watershed scale and provides an integrated
knowledge of soil and water dynamics to control problems like
non-point source pollution, wetland delineation, and land classification. At the advanced level, soil and water sciences focus on sub-disciplines in soil chemistry, soil physics, soil genesis, soil fertility, and soil biology; all with an emphasis on the soil-water interface.
Wildlife
Ecology & Management
Wildlife
is a term for the diversity of natural populations of plants and
animals that exist in the biosphere. Although wildlife usually
refers to vertebrate animals and higher plants, in a more general
sense the term covers all natural biodiversity. Today, the study
of wildlife ecology is a rigorous science that spans biological
scales from the genome to the biosphere. Methods include inventory
techniques for population size and condition, physiological function,
migratory patterns, habitat evaluation and food web studies. Management
of wildlife is especially challenging because it requires the
very best ecological science as a foundation, in addition to a
strong perspective in social science. Thus, the field of wildlife
ecology and management requires interdisciplinary training and
a broad curriculum. Further, with careful course selection and
appropriate postgraduate experience, graduates will be eligible
for Certification
as Wildlife Biologists.
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