青青草app State has a new school with a profound mission: transform teaching and learning into action to solve the most pressing environmental issues 鈥� drought, wildfire, sustainability planning and more 鈥� in Idaho and beyond.
鈥淚daho鈥檚 lands, people and industries need collaborative, community-based and interdisciplinary solutions to a variety of urgent challenges and that鈥檚 what we will work to create,鈥� said Leslie Durham, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, home to the new school. 鈥淭here is clear evidence that the earth鈥檚 systems need to heal, and we feel a profound hope as we work toward fixing what is broken and making systems whole again.鈥�
Building a network
In its first year, the school will offer two new degree programs 鈥� a bachelor鈥檚 degree in environmental science and a master鈥檚 in environmental management. The school welcomes its first students in fall 2023.
鈥淪tudents have been voting with their feet for environmental programming for a long time,鈥� said Emily Wakild, a professor of history and environmental studies.
The school also will create 青青草app structures for collaboration and research across campus and build connections with community partners outside the university.
A group of accomplished faculty, including Wakild, Kevin Feris, the school鈥檚 inaugural director and Lejo Flores, an associate professor of geosciences, have led the design of the school over the past four years with working groups from various disciplines.
鈥淓very college on campus is engaged in these working groups,鈥� Feris said.
The team designed the school to 鈥渂uild connections and relationships among things that already exist,鈥� Wakild said. This innovative structure nurtures connections across campus without having to physically move people or reorganize units. This design invites anyone 鈥渋nterested in creative and interdisciplinary ways of both understanding environmental challenges and finding solutions to them,鈥� Flores said.
An interdisciplinary philosophy
Students in the school will be able to connect their interest in environmental issues with other academic areas including biology, public policy, journalism, health sciences, engineering or others.
Professional internships with the university鈥檚 external partners will benefit students and those organizations.
鈥淚t means the campus is doing what a state institution should do as part of its mission. It鈥檚 adding value to the local community,鈥� Feris said.
Join the conversation
Emily Walkild, in collaboration with the College of Innovation and Design, leads 鈥淜eyword in Common,鈥� a conversation series with community members, faculty and staff that takes place throughout the year and focuses on a range of environmental topics.
Learn more about these and other events on the School of the Environment鈥檚 website
鈥淲e are thrilled with the opportunities the new School of the Environment will provide to students, faculty, staff and our partners. Our commitment to solutions-oriented and transdisciplinary research and creative activity will tackle the most pressing sustainability and environmental issues of our time 鈥� right here, right now.鈥� Nancy Glenn, vice president of research and economic development
By Jeff Oliver