About Us
In the Earth and environmental sciences, we investigate our planet from space to the core, understood in the broadest terms, from a natural science perspective. We seek to understand how they have evolved and continue to evolve, how Earth systems, including human agents, interact to produce the environment in which we live, and how present and future changes may impact the habitability of Earth. The central goal of the department is to educate students about the nature and history of the Earth, the processes that shape the Earth, and the impacts those processes have on humans, other organisms, and the environment in the past, present and future. An understanding of the Earth is an essential component of global citizenship. Humanity faces many critical environmental issues, including global climate change, water shortages, loss of arable land, natural hazards such as earthquakes and flooding, and the dwindling access to energy resources; furthermore, vulnerability to these issues is disproportionate across humanity. Citizens and professionals with training in the Earth and Environmental Sciences will contribute to addressing these and other problems, while increasing opportunities for humans to live sustainably and equitably on the Earth.
