academics – coexist

building a sustainable future

by Thalia

This semester, Environmental Studies (ENVS), the academic arm of the Bailey College of the Environment, is offering a student forum called Constructing Sustainability: Solutions to the Environmental and Housing Crises. The forum aims to equip students with the ability to engage in and think critically about the interdisciplinary nature of the current “affordability” crisis. A major question posed to the class is, “How can we reconcile the pressing reality of the climate and ecological crises with urgent demands for affordable housing?”

The forum’s student leaders, Thalia Witkovsky ‘27 and Luca D’Agruma ‘27, designed the course as an introductory survey of the intersection of the major contemporary issues within the fields of housing, climate, and urban policy. A copy of the syllabus is linked here, if you’re interested in learning more.

envs course inspires guillemin ’27 to obtain wildfire cert

by ssekkmmiles

This past June, E&ES major Finn Guillemin ‘27 participated in an incredible hands-on learning experience through the YMCA of the Pines in Western New Jersey: getting his wildfire firefighter certification.

Finn’s decision to pursue certification was heavily influenced by a course he took in spring 2024: Fire Ecology and Management/ENVS329, taught by Professor Helen Poulos. The course focuses on fire as a fundamental ecological disturbance process that shapes plant communities globally. In the course, students explore how climate change and human land use have altered fire behavior, disrupting many species. The course also examines shifting fire regimes over time, from indigenous fire practices to contemporary fire management. The mix of in-class lectures, field exercises, and discussions fueled Finn’s curiosity and desire for hands-on experience.

spring 2024: check out new envs courses from new profs!

by Laurie Kenney

Looking for environmental studies (ENVS) courses to take in spring 2024? Check out these NEW offerings by Christine Caruso, our NEW assistant professor of the practice in the Bailey College of the Environment (left), and Janice Nimura, our NEW Menakka and Essel Bailey ‘66 Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the Bailey College of the Environment for 2023-24(right)! All four courses count toward elective requirements for the ENVS major and minor and ENVS234 also counts as a Core 1 elective for the ENVS major. Course info, and profiles of the professors, below!

christine caruso: exploring the nexus between food, health, justice & the environment

by acmorris

Christine Caruso is the Schumann Institute of the Bailey College of the Environment’s newest assistant professor of the practice. Her area of specialization explores food systems, specifically in urban centers, and how equity and environmental justice factors play a role in health outcomes. She is interested in community-focused initiatives, and is eager to hear from students. This semester, she’s teaching Environmental Justice and Health Equity and a section of the ENVS senior colloquium. I had the opportunity to speak with Professor Caruso about her work and her new position!

meet bailey visiting scholar janice nimura

by lfranklin

Janice P. Nimura is the Menakka and Essel Bailey ‘66 Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the Bailey College of the Environment for the 2023-24 academic year. She is a writer, finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in biography, and a member of this year’s COE Think Tank. Her work is based on groundbreaking 19th-century American women, and she is currently working on a project studying Rachel Carson and the women who came before and after her. Janice will be giving a talk on this subject, entitled Knowing Their Place: Rachel Carson and the Women Who Came Before Her, at the annual “Where on Earth Are We Going?” symposium on Saturday, October 28, here on campus. I had the pleasure of talking with her about her upcoming discussion.

wecare denali donates compost to long lane farm

by kwu01

*Jane Hollander ’23 spreads mulch from WeCare Denali.* *Photos by Ken Wu ’23.*

Jane Hollander ‘23, a senior English major and Environmental Studies minor, and Assistant Professor of the Practice Rosemary Ostfeld ‘02 secured a donation of 35 yards of compost for Long Lane Farm from Connecticut compost and mulch company WeCare Denali as part of Ostfeld’s Community Gardening (ENVS125F) class.

options for action: students creating change

by lfranklin

Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Kate Miller is excited to use her class to connect students to actions to influence environmental change.In fall of 2021, she launched an “Option for Action Project” in her Introduction to Environmental Studies class (ENVS197). Through this project, students create tangible action plans for addressing environmental problems that affect them. This year they are sharing their proposed solutions with the whole Wesleyan community through a social media campaign which will run now through the end of the semester.