EARTH SYSTEMS: Our interconnected planet (ENV 297L)
What makes Earth the only habitable planet we know of? How do matter and energy move around and through this tremendous orbiting mass? What is happening in the parts of Earth we cannot see, including the Earth’s interior, the deep ocean, and the upper atmosphere? Why should we know about these forces and fluxes? How might these understandings impact how we engage with Earth systems?
This course asks students to conceptualize the large-scale planetary forces around us. The solid, liquid, and gaseous components of Earth are constantly in motion, and yet, few people have opportunities to comprehend these dynamics. We will explore how the solid interior of Earth forms and constantly moves, how the global ocean conveyor belt regulates Earth’s climate, and how atmospheric systems redistribute matter and energy on Earth’s surface. The unifying theme is convection: movement of matter with energy. Students will read scientific literature and textbook materials; however, no formal scientific background is required. Hands-on activities, computer-based simulations, creation of artistic representations of concepts, and student-led discussions will be key throughout the course. Culminating assessments will take the form of creative projects based on class content and literature reviews.
(Newly created interdisciplinary course, taught Fall 2025)
Soils and Society: The Critical Zone (ENV297T)
“We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.”
–Leonardo Da Vinci, circa 1500s
Soil is the literal beginning and ending of terrestrial life. And yet, humans spend far more time, energy, and money exploring space than the intricate worlds of soil that we need to sustain us. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to soil science and to consider societal interactions with soil from a variety of perspectives. Attention will be given to the ways in which soils are exploited and degraded through societal systems of settler colonialism and racial capitalism, and the ways in which soils are essential for promoting food justice, environmental justice, and climate justice. The course will emphasize experiences of farm workers and laborers, particularly people of color, and as well as traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous cosmologies. We will invite a diverse array of guest speakers, prioritizing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) local practitioners who work directly with soil through urban farming, community gardening, foraging, and composting, as well as soil scientists from around the world. We will continually explore the contradictions between environmental issues impacting soils and the life-affirming potentials that soils provide, particularly as people cultivate soils with care. Several class sessions will be spent conducting hands-on activities tending to soils and conducting field analyses. The dirt under your feet is alive. Welcome to the wonders of soil.
(Newly created interdisciplinary course, taught Fall 2024)
Foundations of Environmental Science II (ENS 202)
The course will discuss the science behind some of the major environmental issues facing our society, such as global warming, acid rain, alternative fuels, and air and water pollution. Underlying each issue is significant chemical content that will be reviewed. The purpose of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of chemistry and prepare them with technical knowledge of present and future environmental concerns. No prior knowledge of chemistry is needed to take this course.
All labs have been conducted as engaged collaboration with local communities, including with Gotham Park (see article on class collaboration) and NYCHA Smith Houses, NYCHA Riis Houses, NYCHA Amsterdam Houses, and NYCHA Redhook Houses.
(Adapted from colleagues and taught Spring 2024, 2025, 2026)
Foundations of Environmental Science I (ENS 201)
An introduction to the basic concepts of environmental biology, chemistry, and physics. We will examine living systems and the chemical and physical principles governing the environment that sustains them, using case studies relating to important environmental issues faced by society. Students will learn about the organization of living systems, from organisms to ecosystems, and about how living and non-living elements interact to regulate Earth’s systems. We will emphasize how environmental scientists and managers apply this information to understand and design solutions for environmental problems, including resource use, eutrophication and nutrient management, species extinction and conservation, and species invasions and restoration ecology.
(Adapted from colleagues and taught Fall 2024, 2025, 2026)
Water, wildlife, and windmills: Intro to Environmental Studies and science (ENV 100):
This is the gateway for majors in Environmental Studies and Science. This course is designed around three problem-based learning modules, using focused questions to teach students the relationship between science and policy. The specific questions will be related to three basic topics: resources (water), biodiversity (wildlife) and sustainable energy (windmills).
Course Objectives:
In this course students will learn to:
· Understand relationships between humans and the nonhuman world.
· Discuss the cultural and political frameworks that shape environmental decision-making.
· Identify and justify key stakeholders that need to be a part of sustainable resource management.
· Explore the way environmental conditions are experienced unfairly and unequally.
(Adapted from colleagues and taught Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2026)
Earth and Environmental Sciences 1201: intro to environmental science
What is “The Environment”? How do people come to understand, interact with, and study their environments, particularly in cities? What tools of Science can be used to quantitatively and qualitatively observe and describe ongoing dynamics and changes in environmental systems? How can these scientific tools be used to assess and ultimately steward environments? This course will introduce students to the following big ideas: a) systems science: understanding the Earth and its various environments as interacting systems of the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, pedosphere, and biosphere (which includes the anthroposphere – humanity); b) critical thinking: synthesizing and evaluating data, as well as attention to power in systems; and c) hands-on and applied knowledge: field and lab-based analytical methods and communication.
(Taught Fall 2022, Course Website for Spring 2023)
Urban Studies 101: Urban Poverty and Affluence
This course serves as an introduction to the field of Urban Studies. We analyze why cities are places of economic and political opportunity for some and places of deprivation and discrimination for others. We explore how urban restructuring since the 1970s has increased the income gap in major metropolitan areas such as New York City. We also discuss the central problem of inequality in a variety of policy areas, including housing, education, and climate change. Our case studies will take us from Los Angeles to Milwaukee, Cabrini Green to Sunset Park.
(Taught from Fall 2017 - Spring 2020)
Earth and Environmental Sciences 1101: The Dynamic Earth
From the Earth’s formation 4.56 billion years ago through the present moment, our planet has been constantly changing. This course introduces students to the forces driving such changes, the ongoing processes that provide insights into our past, and the Earth materials that shape our planet and life as we know it. This course will emphasize the roles of humans as geologic agents, and various ways in which our species influences aspects of our environment. In order to comprehend the form and function of our world, students participate in lectures, class discussions, and hands-on laboratory exercises. I encourage students to ask questions, test hypotheses, and ensure they comprehend the vital concepts embedded in this science. We live on a remarkable planet, and over the course of a semester, students learn a great deal about how it works.
(Taught from Fall 2014 - Spring 2016)
Soil Science I and II: Soil Physical and Chemical Properties
We all begin and end with soil. These courses introduce students to the remarkable worlds sustaining life on land.
In Soil Science I, we explore how soils form and continually change; how observable physical properties give soils their identities and tell us about their pasts; the dynamic relationship between soils, water, and air; the many ways in which our species has learned to care for the skin of the Earth for long term conservation and sustainability.
In Soil Science II, we focus on feeding the soil so it can feed plants. Students develop an understanding of the cornerstones of soil chemistry: pH and its effects on nutrient availability to plants and the ionic exchange capacities of soil. Macronutrient cycles in the soil are studied with emphasis on the complex nitrogen cycle and its importance for broader sustainability. We discuss the use of organic and inorganic fertilizers and composted soil amendments.
In both courses, students analyze their own soil samples in class, and we emphasize hands-on experiments throughout the course.
(Taught from Spring 2015 - Spring 2016)