HON 290: Science as a Way of Knowing- Dimensions of Environmental Change
HON 290: Science as a Way of Knowing- Dimensions of Environmental Change
Meeting Time: 15:10-18:10 | Location: THOM 24 | Section: 3 SLN: 4335 Credits: 3
Instructors: Dr. Julie Padowski & Dr. Stephanie Hampton | email: julie.padowski@wsu.edu | Office: PACCAR 256 | Phone: 509-335-9171
Welcome to the honors undergraduate course HON 290: Science as a Way of Knowing- Dimensions of Environmental change. On this webpage, you’ll be able to review the goals and expected outcomes from this course and access the syllabus, class schedule and weekly reading materials. We’re glad to have you in the class, and look forward to a fun and productive semester with you!
– Julie Padowski & Stephanie Hampton
2015 Syllabus (updated 17 Sept 2015) | Weekly Reading Material
Course Overview and Expectations
Balancing human well-being with environmental sustainability is a critical, global challenge. To address these challenges, researchers must understand how to identify, communicate and fund pressing scientific questions. This interdisciplinary course is organized around the CEREO seminar series and aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the research process and the variety of environmental issues we face today. Over the course of the semester, students will attend seminars covering a broad range of on-going environmental research and participate in structured discussions with scientists and writers to learn more about how research is accomplished. Students will use this information to develop their own research proposals. The course will conclude with an oral presentation and a written proposal by each student.
Class Schedule
| Date | Seminar Title & Presenter | Assignments | Weekly Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug | No class- President Floyd’s Memorial | ||
| 2 Sep | Water in an Urbanizing World Julie Padowski, CEREO/WRC, WSU | Course overview and expectations | |
| 9 Sep | Empirical evidence for multiple stable states in a young delta wetland and implications for restoring a sustainable Gulf Coast Kevan Moffett, SoE, WSU | Reading Summary #1 | Developing research ideas |
| 16 Sep | Sympathy for the (Tasmanian) devil: evolutionary genomics of an infectious cancer Andrew Storfer, Biology, WSU | Reading Summary #2 Project title due | Getting involved in research as an undergraduate |
| 23 Sep | Grant-writing workshop Stephanie Hampton, CEREO, WSU | Reading Summary #3 | Grants |
| 30 Sep | Ecosystem Measurements and Modeling from Minutes to Millennia Tara Hudiburg, Forestry, UI | Reading Summary #4 | Research in the physical sciences |
| 7 Oct | Long-term accumulation and transport of anthropogenic phosphorus in world river basins Steve Powers, SoE, WSU | Annotated bibliography due | Email ann. biblio to Julie Padowski by 6pm |
| 14 Oct | From Practice to Promise: Can Madagascar’s Ecosystems be Sustained by Small-Scale Practices? Catherine Craig, Biology, WSU | Reading Summary #5 | Working with non-profits |
| 20 Oct TUES | Science, Environment & Health* Ken Weiss, Writer, L.A. Times | Talk Summary - Extra Credit | Location: Honors Lounge Time: 5-7pm |
| 28 Oct | The Land Speaks: Understanding Wilderness through Oral History and Story Debbie Lee, English, WSU | Reading Summary #6 Project outline and budget due | Research in the humanities |
| 4 Nov | Modeling the Spread of Agriculture to the Roof of the World Jade d’Alpoim Guedes, Anthropology, WSU | Reading Summary #7 | Engaging in international research |
| 11 Nov | No class- Veterans Day | ||
| 18 Nov | Global Integration and the Carbon Intensity of Well-being Jennifer Givens, Sociology, WSU | Reading Summary #8 Project abstract due | Research in the social sciences |
| 25 Nov | No class- Thanksgiving Holiday | ||
| 2 Dec | Student Presentations | ||
| 9 Dec | Student Presentations | Final paper due |