In September, 2002, the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved the creation of a new Graduate Program in Environmental and Conservation Science (ECS) at NDSU. The new program, which builds on established research strengths across several colleges, will provide the collaborative framework to integrate research and education across disciplines to resolve complex resource issues facing North Dakota and our nation in the new century.

The ECS program comprises an integrative curriculum that emphasizes the common ground shared by all sciences. There are two tracks: Environmental Sciences and Conservation Biology.

The Environmental Science track focuses on abiotic environmental issues such as water, air, and land pollution, while the Conservation Biology track focuses on biotic issues such as the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem function. The interdisciplinary nature of this program is reflected by the participation of faculty from across the campus, including the Colleges of Agriculture, Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, Engineering & Architecture and Science & Mathematics.

Faculty and students in ESC will tackle tough environmental problems such as environmental remediation, species diversity, and climate change. However, there will also be an emphasis on emerging economic opportunities in the areas of sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and sustainable energy production.

Environmental Science
Areas of Environmental Studies, such as climate change, groundwater, hazardous waste, and water chemistry require broad training across discipline lines for successful application. To better predict anthropogenic environmental impacts, the engineering, earth material, chemical and biological data will be considered in an integrated manner.

Conservation Biology
Conservation Biology offers a new philosophy of looking at complex problems. This discipline focuses on the loss of regional and global biodiversity, but considers the human element, as well, in its approach to resource issues. As an example, landscape ecology, sustainable development and conflict resolution are themes promoted by the field of Conservation Biology.

One cornerstone of this curriculum will be a regular "outreach" seminar series that will provide opportunity for students to interact with professionals "in the trenches." Local professionals as well as nationally recognized experts will provide seminars, workshops and mini-courses to ECS students. Some workshops will be offered via video-conference networks to increase opportunities for off-campus students. This series will help foster collaborations between NDSU and the regional community.

For administrative questions on the Environmental and Conservation Sciences Graduate Program:
email Ruth Ann Faulkner at:
RuthAnn.Faulkner@ndsu.edu

DIRECTOR:
For program information: contact Dr. Wei Lin at wei.lin@ndsu.edu

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THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO REVISION