Courses of Study 2022-2023 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Courses of Study 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Natural Resources and the Environment


In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences .


Course Offerings in Natural Resources  

Course Offerings in Environment & Sustainability  

The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment supports faculty and courses in the disciplines of applied ecology and management, environmental social sciences, and environmental ethics. It offers students an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the fundamental knowledge and analytical tools required to conserve, restore, and manage the Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystem services in sustainable ways. A large number of hands-on field courses provide direct experience working in forests, wetlands, streams and lakes of the region, and in policy-making arenas in the Nation’s Capital. The department’s rich selection of courses emphasizes quantitative and analytical skills that will benefit students intending to pursue graduate study or give themselves an advantage for many jobs in environmental and related fields.

Students considering careers in resource and ecosystem management, environmental policy, or biodiversity conservation will be drawn to many of the department’s course offerings. The Department offers graduate research degrees leading to the M.S. and Ph.D., and an M.P.S. degree for students whose interests are not primarily research-oriented (dnr.cals.cornell.edu/graduate). Undergraduate focus, however, is the new curriculum in Environment and Sustainability (E&S).
  
The Department’s faculty, staff, and courses play key roles in the E&S program, an interdisciplinary major with faculty in 20 departments and four of Cornell’s colleges. Many of the department’s courses are required by the E&S curriculum. All department faculty members advise in the E&S program. See Environment & Sustainability  for a description of the curriculum.

Department Faculty/Academic Staff


R. C. Stedman, chair (111B Fernow Hall, (607) 255-6118); S. Allred, B. Blossey, D. Bonter, L.E. Buck, E. Cooch, P. Curtis, T. J. Fahey, A. K. Fuller, M. Goebel, S. Grodsky, M. P. Hare, K. S. Kassam, B. A. Knuth, C. E. Kraft, M. E. Krasny, A. Kudryavtsev, J. P. Lassoie, T. B. Lauber, P. McIntyre, S.J. Morreale, N.O. Therkildsen, A. D. Rodewald, P. G. Rodewald, J. A. Royle, L. G. Rudstam, R. L. Schneider, S. Sethi, P. J. Smallidge, P. J. Sullivan, J. A. Tantillo, M.C. Whitmore, S. A. Wolf, J. B. Yavitt

Research and Work Opportunities for Undergraduates


In addition to its many course offerings, the department provides numerous opportunities for field-oriented studies, independent research, internships, and jobs. These include several field-based courses and access for independent research at the Arnot Teaching and Research Forest near Ithaca, the Little Moose Field Station in the Adirondacks, the Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake near Syracuse, and the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, as well as numerous natural areas near campus. Part-time jobs in the research and extension programs of many faculty members offer students opportunities for career-related work experience. Many department faculty members also work closely with students who pursue a research honors degree.