From the Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Thank you so much for your heartwarming response to the 2010 Faculty and Staff Appeal! I am grateful for each and every gift received—no matter what the amount. Each gift is important. Each gift makes a difference to one of our students.

Last year, more than 500 of our colleagues supported this campaign by making a gift. We are proud to have one of the highest participation rates in the SUNY system—and that commitment speaks volumes to others. It says that you believe in our campus, our students, and our future.

If you haven’t made your gift yet, time is winding down to the end of the campaign. Please remember that you can make a one-time gift or use payroll deduction to join your colleagues in supporting our students.

New York State support becomes more tentative each year, yet the financial need of our students continues to grow. Scholarship support can—and in many cases does—decide whether or not a student attends college. It can literally change the future.

And so I thank each of you who has made a gift to the Faculty and Staff Campaign, and I encourage those who have not made a gift to do so. The campaign ends on May 3, so please complete the payroll deduction form and give your financial support to our students.

Thank you!

Buffalo State College and the State University of New York will bestow two SUNY honorary doctorates during the college’s 2010 Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 15. Buffalo State alumna Judy L. Elliott,’82, will receive the honorary doctor of humane letters, and poet Sonia Sanchez will be awarded the honorary doctor of letters. Trustee Eunice Ashman Lewin will confer the awards on behalf of SUNY.

Judy Elliott is the chief academic officer of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the country. Most recently, she was the chief of teaching and learning in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools, and prior to that, an assistant superintendent of Long Beach Unified School District in Long Beach, California. Elliott was also a senior researcher at the National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota, College of Education.

She started her career as a classroom teacher and then school psychologist in Western New York. She received her B.S. in education from Buffalo State College and her Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo.

A consummate educator, Elliott has trained thousands of staff, teachers, and administrators in the United States and abroad. She has also published extensively. Her many articles, chapters, and books include Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation; Response to Intervention Blueprint: District Level Edition(NASDSE, 2008) and State Level Edition (in press);Strategies and Tactics for Effective Instruction-II (Sopris West Inc.); Timesavers for Educators (Sopris West Inc.);Testing Students with Disabilities: Practical Strategies for Complying with State and District Requirements (second edition, Corwin Press); and Improving Test Performance of Students with Disabilities on District and State Assessments (second edition, Corwin Press).

Elliott will deliver the Baccalaureate Commencement Address at the 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. ceremonies; she will receive the honorary degree during the 10:00 a.m. ceremony.

Sonia Sanchez is a poet, professor, and international lecturer on black culture and literature, women’s liberation, peace, and racial justice. She has written more than 16 books, including Homecoming, We a BaddDDD People, Love Poems, I’ve Been a Woman, A Sound Investment and Other Stories, Under a Soprano Sky, Wounded in the House of a Friend, Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums, and most recently, Shake Loose My Skin.

Sanchez is a contributing editor to Black Scholar and theJournal of African Studies. Additionally, she has edited two anthologies: We Be Word Sorcerers: 25 Stories by Black Americans and 360° of Blackness Coming at You.

Her numerous awards include a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a PEW Fellowship in the Arts, the Lucretia Mott Award, and the Community Service Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. She is the winner of the 1985 American Book Award for Homegirls and Handgrenades, the 1988 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Humanities, the 1989 Peace and Freedom Award from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the 1999 Langston Hughes Poetry Award.

Her poem Does Your House Have Lions? was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is the Poetry Society of America’s 2001 Robert Frost medalist and a Ford Freedom scholar of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

She holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Hunter College and completed postgraduate work at New York University. She was the first presidential fellow at Temple University, where she also held the Laura Carnell Chair in English. She also received the Harper Lee Award for a Distinguished Alabama Writer (2004), the Leeway Foundation Transformational Award (2005), the National Visionary Leadership Award (2006), and the Robert Creeley Award (2009).

Sanchez will receive the honorary degree and deliver the Master’s and C.A.S. Commencement Address at the 6:00 p.m. ceremony.

Eunice A. Lewin was appointed to the SUNY Board of Trustees on February 2, 2010. She has been employed as a bilingual social worker for the Committee on Special Education with the Buffalo Board of Education since 1979. Previously, she volunteered at Buffalo Catholic Charities in 1976 before being employed there for three years as a social worker and later obtaining a position with the Erie County Department of Social Services in the division of child protection.

Lewin serves on several boards of directors, including as a commissioner of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority; a founding member of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation; and a member of the Buffalo Urban League, Hispanics United of Buffalo, and the Canisius College Board of Regents. She is also a member of the Erie County Chapter of Links, the Hispanic Women’s League, and the Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival Originators.

She was honored with the Ebony and Ivory Civic Award in 1994; inducted into the Western New York Women’s Hall of Fame on March 14, 2002; and received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education in 2002, the National Conference for Community and Justice of Western New York 50th Annual Citation Award in 2003, and the Marcus Garvey Community Service Award in 2004.

Lewin was born in Guantanamo, Cuba. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1967. She earned a bachelor of arts in sociology from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City before moving to Buffalo in 1976. She obtained a master’s degree in American and Puerto Rican Studies in 1978, and a master’s degree in educational administration in 1989, both from the University at Buffalo.

Her term with the Board of Trustees expires on June 30, 2016.

By Phyllis Camesano

As part of a nine-city rollout, State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher will be in Buffalo on April 28 to publicly launch SUNY’s new strategic plan, aimed at enhancing the vitality and quality of life at SUNY campuses and introducing a new way forward for aligning SUNY’s purpose with New York State’s economic future.

Buffalo State College with Erie County Community College, SUNY Fredonia, Jamestown Community College, Niagara County Community College, and the University at Buffalo are participating in the event, which will be held at HealthNow New York Inc., 257 W. Genesee Street in Buffalo. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for a breakfast reception, followed by presentations from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. All are invited.

The plan, “The Power of SUNY,” is an outgrowth of the chancellor’s comprehensive 10-month initiative that included a 64-campus tour and 10 statewide conversations and symposia. Ideas and comments from campuses and the community were contributed in person or online through Generation SUNY on the Web,Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Based on input from these sessions and discussions with strategic planning groups, forward-looking “big ideas” were identified as central to the educational and economic interests of the state. These ideas, each with supporting programs, drive the plan: 

• SUNY and the Entrepreneurial Century
• SUNY and the Seamless Educational Pipeline
• SUNY and a Healthier New York
• SUNY and an Energy-Smart New York
• SUNY and the Vibrant Community
• SUNY and the World

In addition, the plan focuses on the crosswalks between the six ideas and SUNY’s central commitment to diversity within those themes.

“The plan is a bold, exciting step forward,” said Bonita Durand, executive assistant to the president of Buffalo State College, who served as a delegate. “The concepts, as well as the collaboration that made it possible, are testament to the power of SUNY and its potential for being a driving force in the future of Western New York and all of New York State.”

At the Western New York launch, the chancellor will review the plan, and SUNY students, alumni, and faculty from the region will present their stories and comments in support of the power of SUNY and the themes encompassed in the plan. In addition to Chancellor Zimpher, the program includes:

• Alphonso O’Neil-White, Buffalo State College Council Member and President and CEO, HealthNow New York Inc.
• Eunice Lewin, Trustee, State University of New York
• Thomas Hook, President and CEO, Greatbatch Inc.
• Robert Fritzinger, Director, SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator
• Norma Nowak, Director of Science and Technology, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences
• Benjamin Willis, Ph.D. Student, Counselor Education, UB; Counselor, Westminster Charter School, Buffalo; UB undergraduate degree (McNair and Acker Scholar); attended Buffalo Public Schools: City Honors School and Campus West School, located on Buffalo State’s campus
• Sallie (Shapley) Pullano, ’58, SUNY Fredonia; retired music educator whose immediate family members are all SUNY alumni

During the fourth and final phase of the strategic planning process, the chancellor will engage campuses and communities in discussions about the plan, what it means to them, and how they can be a part of its implementation.

For more information about the Power of SUNY or a copy of the plan, visit www.suny.edu/powerofsuny.

By Mary A. Durlak

Asia, the largest continent, is home to more than half the world’s people. The rapid development of its two largest countries, China and India, is reshaping international politics and economics. The new Asian studies interdisciplinary minor, available in fall 2010, is designed to provide students with the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in the emerging global network.

“We already have many Asia-related courses and projects on campus,” said Michael C. Lazich, associate professor of history. “Many faculty and students have visited China and Southeast Asia, and the Center for China Studies has been instrumental in bringing many Chinese scholars here.” Lazich, an expert in Chinese history, is the coordinator of the minor, which will be housed in the History and Social Studies Education Department.

“Many students will enter professions in which they will be interacting with Asians or carrying on business or research in Asian countries,” said Lazich. “The minor is, therefore, a valuable addition to their programs.”

To earn the 18-credit minor, students must complete an Asian language requirement, two electives from a choice of six core courses, and two electives from a wide-ranging choice of Asia-related courses.

Chinese is the only Asian language currently taught at Buffalo State. Students who have completed 6 hours of study of another Asian language such as Japanese, Korean, Thai, or Hindi may be able to use those credits to satisfy the language requirement. Another possible substitute is 6 credit hours of service learning or other programs of study in Asia.

“Language study or a direct experience of an Asian culture is crucial to help students understand a different worldview,” said Lazich. “Buffalo State has been promoting service learning for several years, and several Asia-related service-learning projects are in the works. However, any credit-bearing experience led by a faculty member in an Asian country could fulfill the requirement.” Lazich noted that business majors, led by Dr. Christine Lai, recently had an opportunity to visit China for several weeks to better understand life in China. He himself led a study tour of China, during which students visited such places as Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai.

The core elective courses are Geography of Asia (GEG 360); Introduction to Asian Art (FAR 375); History of India (HIS 307); History of East Asia: The Traditional Era (HIS 310); Modern History of Japan and Korea (HIS 320); Modern History of China (HIS 338); and Patterns of History in Southeast Asia (HIS 460W). The two remaining electives can be selected from courses offered by the Anthropology, Dietetics and Nutrition, History and Social Studies Education, Fine Arts, Geography and Planning, and Philosophy and Humanities departments.

“Students have the option of focusing on one particular region or one particular field of scholarship, such as history, fine arts, or sociology,” said Lazich. “This minor is flexible enough to give students a chance to prepare for graduate work in Asian studies or to simply broaden their understanding of Asia as an alternative field of study.”

By Phyllis Camesano

Members of the campus and the community will have an opportunity on April 28 and 29 to glimpse and comment on different approaches for how the Buffalo State College campus might grow and change over the duration of the next master plan—2013 to 2023—and beyond.

The suggested planning ideas and directions are the result of a 15-month Facilities Master Plan process involving site visits, assessments of all 41 buildings, and analyses of the college’s future space needs. Landscape, transportation, and infrastructure will also be covered in the plan. The planning team has received extensive input from interviews with more than 150 campus and community members.

“The comprehensive process now gets very interesting,” said Stanley Kardonsky, who as vice president for finance and management leads the initiative. “Based on extensive research, analysis, and input, our team of consultants, led by Flynn Battaglia Architects, is developing three concept alternatives for the college and the State University Construction Fund (SUCF) to review. A final plan will be created and presented in the fall.”

Kardonsky said the concepts explore growth to the south and to the west. All concepts are based on specific campus needs identified through the planners’ research and analysis.

Critical areas of emphasis include:

• Expansion of campus life and student support space.
• Comprehensive and partial renovations to several existing buildings.
• Parking and circulation improvements (vehicular, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian).
• Improved gateway, appearance, and connectivity to the surrounding community.

The presentations are as follows:

For the Advisory Committee
Wednesday, April 28
4:00 p.m., Cleveland Hall 418

For the Immediate Neighborhood
Wednesday, April 28
6:00 p.m., Cleveland Hall 418

For Faculty, Staff, and Students
Thursday, April 29
Drop-in session: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Campbell Student Union

A public meeting for the broader community will be held in June.

The April 29 drop-in session will provide an opportunity for the campus community to view and comment on different approaches for how the campus could evolve. “We encourage everyone to attend and provide feedback,” Kardonsky urged. Input can be given via comment forms provided during the drop-in session or e-mailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu.

The previous five-year Master Plan, which launched in 1995, resulted in major campus improvements completed or under way, including upgraded student dining facilities; renovations to Campus House; expanded residence halls, including conversion of Cassety Hall; an expanded campus bookstore; relocation of the Great Lakes Center to the waterfront; redesign of the Student Union Quad; and construction start-up for the new science and mathematics complex and the new technology building.

The Facilities Master Plan process is driven by the SUCF and guided by an executive committee headed by Kardonsky and Interim Provost Kevin Railey with Stan Medinac, associate vice president for facilities planning. A 40-member advisory committee of faculty and staff members and business and community leaders meets regularly and provides input.

By Phyllis Camesano

Each year, the Buffalo State College Foundation awards roughly 200 scholarships to deserving students in the rigorous All College Honors Program. The primary source of funding for these scholarships is the annual Foundation Scholarship Gala, to be held this year on April 24 at the Connecticut Street Armory.

Now in its 13th year, the gala has become a much-anticipated fundraising event, attracting more than 500 guests for an evening of dining, dancing, and student performances. This year’s gala chairs and presenting sponsors are Louis P. Ciminelli, chairman and CEO of LPCiminelli Inc., and Howard A. Zemsky, vice chair of the Buffalo State College Council and managing partner of Niagara’s Finest Inns. BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and M&T Bank are also presenting sponsors.

“This year, the spotlight is on the students who have received scholarships, and on Buffalo State, which is dedicated to providing an enriching learning experience for all students,” said Andrea Guiati, director of the All College Honors Program and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of modern and classical languages. “In these difficult economic times, scholarships are more important than ever to making a difference in the lives of our students and, ultimately, the future of our region and country.”

The All College Honors Program began in 1984 with just a few students. Scholarships provide much-needed financial support, in many cases allowing students to forgo or limit employment during the school year and devote more time to academic studies.

Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with a wine-paired reception, followed by a multicourse gourmet dinner, a live auction with Eric Monahan of Cash Realty & Auctions, and dancing to Crystal Blue.

Mylous A. Hairston, ’86, weekend news anchor for WIVB-TV Channel 4, will serve as master of ceremonies with Dennis K. Ponton, interim president of Buffalo State College, and Linda A. Dobmeier, ’71, chair of the Buffalo State College Foundation Board of Directors.

Tickets for the event are $200 per person. For more information, call Pamela Voyer, director of special events and protocol, at 878-3725.

The State University of New York Board of Trustees appointed Aaron Podolefsky as the next president of Buffalo State College at its meeting in New York on Tuesday, March 23. SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpherannounced last week that she would formally recommend Podolefsky for the college’s top post. Podolefsky was the overwhelming choice of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee and College Council following a national search.

“I am grateful to the board for approving his appointment and recognizing the great talent and promise that Dr. Podolefsky’s leadership has to offer,” Zimpher said.

“Dr. Podolefsky comes to us with extensive experience as a higher education administrator and mentor, having led the University of Central Missouri to record levels of academic quality and the highest rates for job placement and graduation in its history,” said SUNY Board of Trustees Chair Carl T. Hayden. “I am confident that Buffalo State College will continue to grow and prosper under his leadership. Our thanks go out to Search Committee Chairman and College Council Vice Chairman Howard Zemsky and his colleagues for their hard work and the outstanding result.”

Podolefsky has served as president and professor of anthropology at the University of Central Missouri since 2005. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from San José State University and two master of arts degrees—in liberal studies and anthropology—and a Ph.D. with distinction in anthropology from Stony Brook University. He has authored numerous scholarly books, textbooks, and articles, and he is a fellow of the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

His appointment as Buffalo State’s eighth president becomes effective July 1, 2010.

The full news release is available on the SUNY Web site.

By Mary A. Durlak

What will the Arctic look like in 2030? An April lecture series, “Arctic: The Unexpected Frontier,” will explore the multidisciplinary issues that are being raised as the polar ice cap shrinks.

“As the ice melts and water levels rise, the boundaries of the land and the ocean are changing,” said Charlotte Roehm, assistant professor of geography and planning and research scientist with the Great Lakes Center. “We wanted to have a series of lectures to present the economic and political issues as well as the environmental issues.”

Eight nations claim land within the Arctic Circle: Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland, which is part of Denmark. Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning, will present “The Arctic: Exploring Its Lands and Peoples” on Thursday, April 15, at 12:15 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115.

“I’ll talk about regional geography of the peoples and lands to lay a foundation for the other presentations,” said Vermette.

The second presentation, “Arctic Meltdown? Environmental Impacts of a Climate Change,” will take place on Tuesday, April 20, at 12:15 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115. Roehm, a biogeochemist and hydrologist, will discuss the changes she has seen firsthand in the Arctic in both Canada and Sweden, where she spent a year doing research.

“The snowfall has decreased in some areas, as evidenced by both research and by the firsthand recounts of the Sami,” said Roehm. “The Sami, the area’s indigenous people, have witnessed a change in their environment.” She will also discuss other regional and global implications.

Roehm’s research focuses on the carbon and nutrients contained in the ice and permafrost of the Arctic. “That carbon has accumulated over thousands of years,” she said. “As the ice and permafrost melt, the carbon and nutrients are released. Bacterial processes convert the carbon to carbon dioxide and methane, two main gases contributing to climate change.”

Roehm’s research to date suggests that perhaps up to half the carbon that is released from such stores is lost back to the atmosphere through such a process within both terrestrial and aquatic environments. “We really don’t have answers,” she said. “Because the change in the Arctic is so rapid, scientists are just beginning to identify pieces of the puzzle.”

However, political questions and sovereignty issues have already been raised among the eight Arctic nations. “Boundaries are defined by extent of terrestrial landforms,” said Roehm. “What happens to the territorial boundaries as the water levels change?” Already, the Northwest Passage—a seagoing route along the northern coast of North America—is more navigable, raising questions about governance of such shipping.

An internationally renowned expert on Arctic sovereignty and security will present the third lecture, “The Political Impacts of a Warmer and Ice-Reduced Arctic,” on Friday, April 23, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center North 2A. Franklyn Griffiths, professor emeritus of political science and George Ignatieff Chair Emeritus of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto, has published widely on issues relating to Canadian sovereignty and international cooperation in the Arctic region.

“We hope to interest other people from campus in Arctic issues,” said Roehm, “and perhaps spark more interdisciplinary research in the region.” Roehm was instrumental in obtaining funding from the Faculty-Student Association for the series, which is also sponsored by the Geography and Planning Department.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher announced today that she will recommend the appointment of Dr. Aaron Podolefsky as the next president of Buffalo State College at the March 23, 2010, meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Podolefsky was the overwhelming choice of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee and College Council following a national search. If approved by the board, Podolefsky’s appointment would be effective July 1, 2010.

Podolefsky currently serves as president and professor of anthropology at the University of Central Missouri, a position he has held since 2005. His efforts to reach out to local, state, and federal government entities and support development of an Innovation and Energy Park at the university have been recognized as significantly promoting economic development in the region. In close collaboration with his campus, he successfully led the development of a new Strategic Plan and a new Campus Master Plan, and also led the university through the transition to adopt a new vision, a new name, and a new crest.

“Dr. Podolefsky has led the University of Central Missouri with great distinction as the campus reached record-setting levels of academic quality and job placement and is now experiencing the highest graduation rate in its history,” said Zimpher.

“As a successful higher education leader with strategic planning know-how and a proven knack for cultivating campus-community partnerships and economic development, Dr. Podolefsky will be a tremendous asset to Buffalo State College, Western New York, and the SUNY system.”

“The search committee and the College Council are extremely pleased that Chancellor Zimpher has selected Dr. Aaron Podolefsky to serve as the next president of Buffalo State College,” said Howard Zemsky, vice chair of the College Council and chair of the search committee. “We are hopeful the SUNY Board of Trustees will ratify this decision at their meeting next week.

“Dr. Podolefsky embraces the importance of so many of our vital missions and values including education, research, service learning, accessibility, and diversity. We believe Aaron will continue the record of outstanding leadership we have enjoyed the past 14 years under Dr. Muriel Howard and Dr. Dennis Ponton. We all believe Buffalo State College will continue to flourish under the leadership of Dr. Aaron Podolefsky. This is very good news for Buffalo State College and our entire community.”

“Ronnie and I are very excited to be joining the Buffalo State family and supporting Chancellor Zimpher in achieving her ambitious goals for SUNY,” said Podolefsky. “I was greatly impressed by the faculty, staff, and students that I met on campus—they are clearly a major strength. Special thanks are owed to the search committee, who represented the campus in a most positive fashion, and especially to Howard Zemsky and Dr. Bonita Durand, who worked tirelessly to ensure a successful process.”

Prior to his tenure at the University of Central Missouri, Podolefsky served for seven years as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Before that, he served for eight years as dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UNI. From 1986 to 1990, he was professor of anthropology and head of Western Kentucky University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. Prior to this position, he served as associate chair and associate professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University, and was a research associate for the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research at Northwestern University.

Podolefsky earned a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from San José State University and two master of arts degrees, in liberal studies and anthropology, and a Ph.D. with distinction in anthropology from Stony Brook University. He has authored numerous scholarly books, textbooks, and articles, and he is a fellow of the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

He is married to Ronnie (Shapiro) Podolefsky, an attorney practicing in the areas of civil rights, employment law, and mediation. They have two sons.

Podolefsky would succeed Dennis Ponton, who has been serving as interim president since August 1, 2009, when Muriel Howard, who had been president since 1996, stepped down to assume the presidency of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.

Podolefsky would earn an annual salary of $225,000. He would also be provided college-owned housing adjacent to the Buffalo State campus and would also have use of a campus-leased vehicle during the term of his presidency.

By Mary A. Durlak

While it might be important to do your part to preserve the environment, the college’s newest minor, environment and society, emphasizes the study of history and cultural institutions that shape human-environment interaction.

“The new environment and society minor is rooted in the tradition of environmental studies,” explained its coordinator, Eric Krieg, associate professor of sociology. Environmental studies, in turn, is an interdisciplinary field that approaches the study of the environment through a theoretical lens that includes the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.

Although the minor is housed in the college’s Sociology Department, its course offerings draw from Anthropology, Biology, Earth Sciences and Science Education, Economics and Finance, English, Geography and Planning, History and Social Studies Education, Political Science, and Psychology. The three required core courses are Environment and Society (SOC 353); U.S. Environmental History (HIS 330); and Nature Writing (ENG 247).

“Our culture mediates our interaction with nature,” said Krieg. “For example, our culture tends to value large houses on large lots with trees and a lawn for the kids to play on. The result is suburbia and exurbia, the kind of social phenomenon that lends itself to automobile culture and carbon-intense lifestyles. So you can see how social structure and culture mediate our relationship with nature and how the social sciences have a role to play in the study of the environment.”

In addition to the three core courses, students are required to choose two social science electives from five courses offered and one natural science elective from 10 courses offered.

“We want students to think about the big-picture questions that affect the environment,” Krieg explained, “and to be able to develop their own questions and areas of interest.” Many areas of interest are possible because environmental theory and philosophies of nature (western dualism, holism, deep ecology) draw from a wide variety of disciplines.

Krieg’s own research interests demonstrate the breadth of environmental studies. In 2005, he and Daniel Faber, professor of sociology at Northeastern University, issued a report, Unequal Exposure to Ecological Hazards: Environmental Injustices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Their work demonstrates that racial and socioeconomic factors “are strongly associated with levels of exposure to hazardous waste sites and chemical emissions across the Bay State.” Today, he is investigating the way dairy-farming practices have changed over the last 50 years and how these changes affect human and environmental health.

“Social and environmental justice is one aspect of environmental studies,” said Krieg. “Others include climate studies, eco-feminism, community development, international development, policy analysis, social movements, technology studies, and many more.

“It’s an interdisciplinary field,” said Krieg. “Environmental studies allows students to draw from different disciplines to study unique areas of interest.”