Environmental studies (ENVS) is the academic component of the Bailey COE. Offered as a linked major or minor, ENVS current and past students hail from almost every single department and program Wesleyan has to offer: from government, art, and chemistry to economics, English, and earth and environmental sciences to film studies, sociology, and biology. Meet some of our 40 ENVS class of 2025 majors below!
My name is Marissa Clauburg. I’m a double major in environmental studies and music with a minor in animal studies. I am from Central Jersey (which does, indeed, exist). I became interested in ENVS as a result of my passion for the environment, as I believe we have an obligation to do the most we can to protect it.
The most influential ENVS class I’ve taken was definitely ENVS284 Animal Law and Policy with Prof. Elan Abrell. Outside of the department, I was also fascinated by Prof. Lori Gruen’s PHIL368 Ethics of Captivity and grad student Anya Shatilova’s MUSC121 Queering Russian Music.
On campus, I am the president of the Wesleyan Animal Defense League and director of the Cardinal Players Pep Band. I also try to do any Spike Tape pit orchestras and Outing Club events I can fit in my schedule.
My thesis centers on the ethics of nonhuman animal domestication. I am working to establish a philosophical perspective from which to analyze our relationships with companion, farmed, working animals, and more.
My name is Laine Gorman and I’m an economics and environmental studies major from Washington, DC. I’ve been interested in the environment since I was young. As a kid you could often find me hiking, gardening, or reading lots of National Geographic books and magazines. Taking AP environmental science in my junior year of high school was the turning point when my interest in environmental issues became more serious. The curriculum wove the principles of environmental justice throughout, which allowed my passion for social justice to combine with my longtime interest in the environment.
Environmental Law and Policy with Professor Earl Phillips has been by far my favorite Wesleyan class! This class gave me a comprehensive understanding of the complex origins and practice of environmental laws in the United States, and gave me the opportunity to apply and test this knowledge through creative assessments. Instead of the typical final exam, our performance was assessed through a mock hearing complete with a judge and zoning board. My team represented a fracking company and had the difficult task of determining how we could use federal, state, and local environmental laws to get approval for a fracking project in a fictional town with no permits. The other team played the role of concerned citizens attempting to halt our project. Over the two nights the hearing was held, we applied our knowledge through testimonies, cross examinations, objections, and opening and closing arguments, learning even more as we went. This experience challenged me in a number of ways, but also greatly increased my confidence in my abilities to close read, think outside of the box, and use verbal reasoning to present compelling arguments. I can confidently say that this course represented another turning point in my academic journey. It instilled in me a passion for environmental law, and with Professor Phillips’ help, gave me the confidence to pursue a career in this field.
I work for Malana Rogers-Bursen (project coordinator for Food Justice and Security) as a community events and communications intern. My responsibilities mostly consist of creating promotional materials for community events and managing social media. I also work as a Sustainable Middletown intern under Jen Kleindienst, Wesleyan’s sustainability director. We work with local elected officials to pursue projects that enhance the environmental and social sustainability of Middletown. When not at the Sustainability Office, I also work as a peer tutor for the Economics Department!
I’ll be writing my senior essay in the spring. I have yet to finalize a topic, but I’m leaning towards examining how patriarchy and the meat industry reinforce each other and what the implications are for the environment.