Community Environmental Scholars Program (CESP)
CESP is a community of student-scholars from a variety of backgrounds and academic interests who share a passion for environmental studies. Students that are selected for the program are required to participate for at least three semesters during the final two years at UW-Madison. Each semester, teams of students lead classes on book chapters, creatively review the Community Engagement Modules from the Morgridge Center, network with alumni, craft cover letters and resumes, and reflect on how their service learning experiences measure up to the ideals of community engaged work.
Introductory Ecology
This is an introductory-level natural science course, aimed at first- and second-year students who are considering a natural science major and at older students majoring in other fields. The primary goal of Introductory Ecology is to place ecological thought in an interdisciplinary framework that encompasses the ecology of humans as another unique species evolving and interacting within Earth’s biosphere and the many branches of ecological science. We focus on the biosphere and seek to understand how major branches of ecology developed to address problems at many levels, from landscape ecology to population ecology to behavioral ecology.
To integrate human behavior and ecology fully for an understanding of ecosystem function and environmental change, we adopt Wisconsin as a focal ecosystem whose structure, components, functions, and trajectories of change we will seek to understand. Rather than a case study to illustrate class topics, Wisconsin’s ecosystems will serve as the central point of interest whose mysteries and uncertainties will lead us to study ecological knowledge worldwide.
Health Impacts of Global Environmental Change
This course seeks to provide upper level undergraduate and graduate students with the tools to identify and address real-world environmental and urban health issues within a global context. Rather than evaluate human health issues in a silo, this course draws on One Health and Planetary Health paradigms to explore how human activities at local, regional, and global levels impact our own health and the health of the beings that inhabit ecosystems around us. In addition to reading and discussing subject content to assist in understanding of the issues, students will learn skills to optimize the likelihood of affecting policy change through: 1) the Health Impact Assessment framework; 2) an introduction to environmental health modeling and spatial analysis; and 3) science communication skills.
Climate Change Governance
Climate change is being felt, and addressed, at every level of society, from the individual up to the global scale. This social science course is aimed at mid-to-upper level undergraduates who are interested in examining efforts to mitigate (reduce) climate change on multiple scales. In this course, will explore initiatives that are being implemented through international treaties; national, state, and municipal government policies; and individual behavior. We will examine the advantages and disadvantages of each, their successes, and the obstacles they have faced. We will also evaluate various forms of climate activism as a means of pushing for meaningful action on climate change.
Environmental Studies, the Social Perspective
The natural environment and society are intricately linked in a number of ways. Environmental problems don’t just affect our society, they are a product of social structures. We therefore need more than just natural science and technology to address environmental issues — social studies of the environment are critical. This course explores different approaches of interpreting environment and societal relations, at various levels, from the local to the global. It traces the social origins of environmental problems, their social impacts, and the different responses they engender. Students will learn to critically apply diverse modes of thinking from the social sciences to understand and address current environmental challenges.