Capstone course for students in the interdepartmental minor programs in environmentally sustainable practices. Seminar format, with visiting scholars working interactively with students. Explores the system of relationships between any human population and its environment focusing on cultural behavior. Uses studies from ancient to modern times and models and theories from ecology and anthropology. University-wide program designed for students with outstanding academic records, capable of bridging disciplinary interests, with a commitment to learning about the emerging field of environmental assessment.
Participants develop environmental assessments of internationally recognized architecture.
Emphasizes first order principles, relationships of informational content to design decision-making, protocols for field investigation of buildings and annotated bibliographies. Principles of ecological organization at the community and ecosystems levels. Emphasis on the processes that influence the structure and function of communities and ecosystems. Laboratory includes field and lab studies of plant and animal systems. Factors affecting the distribution and abundance of plants.