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DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (ESE) HWIDONG KIM, Ph.D., P.E., Chair FACULTY: Professor: Michelle Homan, Ph.D. Associate Professor: Hwidong Kim. Assistant Professor: Varun Kasaraneni. Professor Emeritus: Harry R. Diz, Ph.D., P.E. The department offers majors in Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering, and minors in Environmental Science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). There are also two 4 + 1 programs: 1.) B.S. in Environmental Science/M.S. in Environmental Science and Management and 2.) B.S. in Environmental Engineering/M.S. in Environmental Science and Management.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (ES) degree is a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum designed for students with strong analytical abilities that includes courses in environmental science as well as biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and mathematics. Environmental science majors study the adverse effects of human activity on the environment and develop solutions to reduce its impact. Graduates of Gannon’s Environmental Science program are prepared for careers in the areas of environmental education and outreach, natural resource management, environmental compliance, and environmental health and safety. The program connects the theory and concepts learned in the classroom with hands-on and real-world experiences in the form of fieldwork, internships, research activities, service-learning projects and travel opportunities. Students complete a year-long research project during the senior year, organized within the two-semester sequence “Senior Thesis I and II”. This course sequence guides the student in becoming familiar with the scientific method and reading scientific literature. Each student works with a faculty mentor on an individual basis during the senior year to design and conduct a scientific study, culminating in the writing of a Senior Thesis based on the student’s research. This program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science. There are two technical options within the major requiring a minimum of 128 credits: Environmental Resource Management and Environmental Health and Safety. Students should declare the option they wish to pursue by the end of the sophomore year. Student Learning Outcomes The B.S. in Environmental Science is designed to provide an interdisciplinary education with a focus on practical and field applications. After completing the ES program students will: 1. Demonstrate knowledge of and application of math and the natural sciences in order to understand human impacts on the natural and built environment. 2. Gain the practical skills necessary in the environmental field including laboratory and field instrumentation, computer software, and sampling and analytical techniques. 3. Demonstrate the ability to identify and evaluate environmental problems and to develop solutions to remediate and sustain environmental systems. 4. Be able to implement scientific research strategies, including collection, management, evaluation, and interpretation of environmental data. 5. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills specific to the audience and circumstance. A minor in Environmental Science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is also available.
