ESPM 2021 "Environmental Science: Integrated Problem Solving" (3 credits)
Problem solving in an integrated knowledge system. Simulations of an environmental problem. Students work in integrated teams to develop a strategy for addressing the problem: kinds of data needed, how to analyze data, what findings mean, and how to integrate findings. International perspectives on environmental problems/solutions.
ESPM 3000 "Seminar on Current Issues for ESPM" (1 credit)
Environmental issues students will have to address in their future careers. Small group discussion, in-depth/focused intellectual debate. The topics I covered in 2020 are bioremediation and bioenergy.
ESPM 4601 "Environmental Pollution" (3 credits)
This course uses the principles of chemistry, microbiology, physics, and toxicology to understand the fate and behavior of environmental contaminants and the pollution of soils, surface waters, groundwater, and sediments. The course is structured around a semester-long risk assessment project that provides a framework for integrating concepts of pollution, contaminant movement, contaminant degradation, human health risk, ecological risk, risk mitigation, environmental remediation processes, and interactions among them. The history of federal regulations concerning environmental contamination is presented in the context of the major episodes of environmental pollution that motivated legislative action.
LAAS 5621 "Environmental Genomics and Microbiomes" (3 credits)
This course deals with molecular and genomic approaches to answer ecological questions related to environmental sciences. The course focuses on microbial community analysis and (meta)genomics, but also covers transcriptomics and other omics approaches. It includes hands-on computer exercises to learn basic bioinformatics with python and R.