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Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - EVR7930
Tracking Number - 2839
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Current Status:
Removed from DB by orginator - 2015-02-16
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: Withdrawn by CAS 2/16/15
Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2012-03-07
- Department: Geography and Environmental Science and Policy
- College: AS
- Budget Account Number:
- Contact Person: Philip Reeder
- Phone: 8139744292
- Email: preeder@usf.edu
- Prefix: EVR
- Number: 7930
- Full Title: Doc. Colloquium in Environment, Sustainability & Planning
- Credit Hours: 1
- Section Type: O -
Other
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: N
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?:
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Doc. Col. in Env., Sust. & Pl.
- Course Online?: C -
Face-to-face (0% online)
- Percentage Online: 0
- Grading Option:
S - S/U Only
- Prerequisites:
- Corequisites:
- Course Description: Invited lectures on current research presented by faculty and PhD students within the Department of Geography, Environment and Planning, external speakers from the community or from other universities as part of the already existing ERIC Seminar Series.
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for program/concentration/certificate change
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? It is offered each semester and is cross-listed with undergraduate and masters level section. This particular doctoral section should enroll 8-10 doctoral students per semester.
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? No
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) The course is organized by a USF faculty member with a Ph.D.
- Objectives: ERIC is the inter-college seminar series at USF, organized by the Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Science & Policy. The objective of the series is to bring together the diverse environmental research talents throughout the University and community, to spur collaborative research ideas, and to excite students about research opportunities in the environmental field.
- Learning Outcomes: Students will receive up to date information via expert presentations on a variety of topics related to Environmental Science, Sustainability, Planning and Policy. The information received via these presentation will be applicable to enhanced learning on the topics and the information can be applied by students to their program of study and research endeavors.
- Major Topics: A typical semesters list of topics and speakers. It changes each semester.
January 11 Drs. Jaward and Mizak Class introduction and syllabus day
January 18 Dr. Ricardo Izurieta
Assistant Professor USF Department of Global Health, Application of Urea in Solar Dry Toilets to Secure Inactivation of Fecal Pathogens
January 25 Ms. Candice Simmons
Doctoral Student, USF College of Marine Sciences PBDES in Coastal Environments: An Emerging National and Local Concern
February 1 Dr. Richard Nisbett
Assistant Professor, USF Department of Global Health, The EcoHealth Movement: Promoting the sustainable health of people, wildlife and ecosystems through discovery and transdisciplinarity
February 8 Ms. Cathy Harrelson
Florida Organizer Gulf Restoration Network, Overview of Gulf Restoration Network Activities
February 15 Dr. Betty Morrow, Professor Emerita of Sociology, Florida International University Communicating Hurricane Information
February 22 Mr. Gregg Rottler, Environmental Supervisor
Hillsborough County Health Dept., The Farmworker Housing Project
February 29 Drs. Jaward and Mizak Mid-semester class discussion and feedback activity
March 7 Ms. Jamie Trahan, Doctoral Student
USF College of Engineering, USF Solar Initiative
March 14 Spring Break
March 21 Dr. Paul Robbins, Professor and Director
School of Geography and Development University of Arizona Political Ecology
March 28 Mr. Dell DeChant,Instructor and Associate Chair, USF Department of Religious Studies, American Exceptionalism and the Green Religious Critique
April 4 Councilwoman Lisa Montelione, City of Tampa, Topic TBA
- Textbooks: No Text Book Required
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: Some annotaed example of readings that may be related to ERIC Lecture Presentations:
Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness. 1967, 1990.
Abbey spent a year alone as a ranger in a national park in southeastern Utah. His book describes his time there, what he learned about the land in front of him, the world around him, about himself, and also explores his perception of the growing exploitation of the wilderness by oil and mining interests.
Arms, Myron. Riddle of Ice: A Scientific Adventure into the Arctic. 1999.
During a 1991 sailing expedition off the coast of Labrador, the author is blocked by a mass of ice ? an unusual occurrence in such a warm summer. In 1994, he goes back to complete his journey and determine if climatic shifts are causing the change in Arctic ice production. Riddle of Ice is the result of that second exploration.
Bormann, F. Herbert and Stephen Kellert (eds.). Ecology, Economics, Ethics: The Broken Circle. 1993.
Environmental specialists argue that in order to solve global problems we must view them from a broad interdisciplinary perspective that acknowledges the relationship between ecology, economics, and ethics. This book covers a variety of topics, ranging from global atmospheric degradation to the loss of forests and massive species extinctions.
Brown, Kenneth. Four Corners: History, Land and People of the Desert Southwest. 1996.
Brown takes readers on a tour of the Four Corners region, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah intersect, with a mix of geology, biology, and human history.
Brown, Tom. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking. 1986.
Noted outdoorsman Tom Brown presents a useful field guide, part of a best-selling series.
Burns, Loree Griffen. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. 2007.
This book, for younger students, is a fascinating account of ocean currents, drifting trash, and the scientists that study them.
Cohen, Joel. How Many People Can the Earth Support? 1996.
Predictions for how many people the Earth can support have varied from 4 billion to 16 billion; Cohen suggests that the defining limits of land, food production, and water supply will lead to a more definitive number. Cohen also argues that while we might be able to prepare for future restrictions on our needs, our governments, our own personal choices, and time itself will ultimately determine the boundaries of our existence.
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring.
First published in 1962, this book raised awareness about the environmental and human risks of using pesticides, such as DDT, and was one of the contributing factors that spurred the modern environmental movement.
Cone, Marla. Silent Snow: The Slow Poisoning of the Arctic. 2006.
Cone, a U.S. environmental journalist, reports her findings from an investigation into why the Arctic 's native inhabitants are heavily impacted by pollution due to chemicals being carried to the area by winds and waves, and how Arctic cultures are adapting.
Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. 1983, 2003.
Cronon examines the relationship between humans and nature and the changing land-use patterns on the ecosystem in colonial New England .
Devall, Bill and George Sessions. Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered. 1985, 2001.
An introduction to the emerging theme of ?deep ecology,? a way to develop harmony between individuals, communities, and nature. The authors show how to participate in major environmental issues in a positive and creative manner.
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. 1999, 2005.
In this Pulitzer-prize winning book, noted evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond poses an answer to the question of why some societies have been able to conquer and displace others. Diamond devotes a number of chapters to the history of the development of agriculture and its effect on human societies.
Dillard, Annie. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. 1975, 2007.
In this Pulitzer Prize winning series of interconnected essays that describe the author's one year exploration on foot at Tinker Creek, the author observes the changing of the seasons and the corresponding behaviors of plants and animals, reflecting on the nature of the world.
Ehrlich, Gretel. The Solace of Open Spaces. 1986, 1992.
Ehrlich originally moved west to make a film, but later returned to work with neighbors at cattle- and sheep-ranching, learning how to take pleasure in open spaces. This book describes her experience, the people she met, the changing of the seasons, and the beautiful landscapes.
Ehrlich, Paul. The Population Bomb.
In this 1968 book, biologist Ehrlich predicted that rapid population growth would lead to worldwide famine and environmental degradation.
Ehrlich, Paul, et al. The Stork and the Plow: The Equity Answer to the Human Dilemna. 1997.
Population experts argue that to diminish the possibility of widespread starvation, we need to increase the equity of women and support farmers in developing countries.
Feynman, Richard. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character. 1986, 2000.
The life story of Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman, based on a collection of his reminiscences. Feynman was as well known for his lab work as he was for his sense of humor and sense of vitality. The book shows his human side through funny anecdotes but also discusses more serious issues, such as the development of the atomic bomb and the death of his first wife from tuberculosis.
Forsyth, Adrian and Ken Miyata. Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America. 1987.
Based on the authors' experiences in rain forests, each chapter in this book describes a different element that is found in the rainforests, exploring insects, birds, animals, and plants.
Garrett, Laurie. The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance. 1995.
In this gripping, often harrowing study, Laurie Garrett takes readers on a 50-year journey through the world's battles with microbes, and examines the conditions that have culminated in recurrent outbreaks of newly discovered diseases, epidemics of diseases migrating to new areas, and mutated old diseases that are no longer curable.
Graedel, Thomas, and Paul Crutzen. Atmosphere, Climate and Change. 1997.
Two experts on the chemistry of the atmosphere explore the workings of the atmosphere as a component of Earth as a system. They look at the causes of long-term commercial change and the sources and pitfalls of scientific prediction. The authors also offer a look ahead to potential future changes and what can be done about them.
Gray, Mike and Ira Rosen. The Warning: Accident at Three Mile Island, A Nuclear Omen for the Age of Terrorism. 1982, 2003.
A narrative of the accident that occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania in 1979. The 2003 edition incorporates information from renewed discussions on energy and the environment, energy alternatives, and current thoughts on nuclear energy. An additional chapter covers new facts that have since been revealed about the accident.
Hardin, Garrett. "The Tragedy of the Commons." Science 162 (December 13, 1968): 1243-1248.
In this classic article, Hardin present the problem of shared resources. A herdsman benefits by maximizing the number of cattle he has grazing on a common pasture. But, the pasture will be of no benefit to any herdsman if it has been overgrazed. Thus, in the absence of mechanisms to protect public resources, individuals will act in self-interest without regard to collective good.
Harr, Jonathan. A Civil Action. 1996.
This best-selling book recounts the costly and lengthy lawsuit filed against several corporations on behalf of a group of Woburn, Massachusetts residents stricken with leukemia. The suit, eventually settled out of court, alleged that the corporations were responsible for contaminating the local water supply.
Henson, Robert (Rough Guides). The Rough Guide to Climate Change. 2006.
Robert Henson has written this guide to a pressing issue facing the world. The guide looks at visible symptoms of change on a warming planet, how climate change works, the evolution of our atmosphere over the last 4.5 billion years and what computer simulations of climate reveal about our past, present, and future. It looks at the skeptics' grounds for disagreement, global warming in the media and what governments and scientists are doing to try to solve the problem.
Hertsgaard, Mark. Earth Odyssey: Around the World in Search of Our Environmental Future. 1998, 2000.
Hertsgaard set off on a world tour spanning 19 countries from 1991-1997 to find out what people thought of environmental problems. His book reports on environmental issues through the eyes of people who have witnessed them first hand.
Houle, Marcy. The Prairie Keepers: Secret of the Grasslands. 1996.
Houle, a wildlife biologist, spent a season studying buteo hawks in Zumwalt Prairie in northeastern Oregon . Her account details how ranchers, grazing, and wildlife can coexist, and emphasizes that they must coexist in order to save the native prairies.
Leakey, Richard and Roger Lewin. The Sixth Extinction: Patterns of Life and the Future of Humankind. 1996.
The authors conclude that there have been five great extinctions in this history of life on Earth, and argue that humans will bring about a sixth extinction which could threaten all of life.
Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. 1968, 2001.
Says Aldo Leopold, "There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot." In this series of nature essays, Leopold articulates an elegant statement of the appropriate relationship between humans and the land.
Levitt, Steven D. and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. 2006.
Levitt and Dubner are economists exploring how economics can explain phenomenon in everyday life ? including drops in crime rate and the impact parenting has on children. The two discover fascinating explanations, and may just change the way people view economics.
Lewis, Martin. Green Delusions: An Environmentalist Critique of Radical Environmentalism. 1994.
Lewis, a self-described environmentalist, counters those who believe in a get-back-to-nature ideal. Lewis reviews evidence that suggests primitive societies were not necessarily peaceful or environmentally benign and argues that technology and economic growth can be beneficial.
Lopez, Barry. Of Wolves and Men. 1979, 2004.
A study of the history of how wolves and humans have interacted and the way the wolf has been prominent in our thinking about animals. Lopez argues for the necessity of wolves in the world drawing from personal experience and a wide variety of literature.
Lovins, Amory. Soft Energy Path: Towards a Durable Peace. 1977.
Lovins compares ?soft energy? and ?hard energy? paths, arguing for ?soft energy? and that we can rely on less energy supply than is usually assumed.
Mann, Charles C. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus. 2005.
In 1491, Mann challenges the traditional view that historic Native American societies were relatively small and harmless to the environment. He puts forward the notion that Native American cultures were both rather large and technologically advanced long before European explorers set foot in the New World.
McPhee, John. Encounters with the Archdruid. 1971, 2003.
This book contains narratives of four journeys through three wildernesses ? coastal land, a western mountain range, and the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The four men portrayed ? environmentalist David Brower, mineral engineer Charles Park, resort designer Charles Fraser, and dam builder Floyd Dominy ? provide different environmental perspectives as they encounter each other during their journeys.
Miller, Benjamin. Fat of the Land: The Garbage behind New York ? The Last Two Hundred Years. 2000.
Miller traces the history of garbage in New York City while addressing the social and scientific theories of class and disease. Fat of the Land connects trash disposal to larger concerns regarding the city's infrastructure and discusses who gains and who loses in the endless battle over garbage.
Muir, John. My First Summer in the Sierra. 1911, 2004.
A collection of journal entries Muir wrote during his time as a sheep herder in the Sierra Nevada details the beautiful surroundings he encountered and explains his transformation from an industrial engineer to a pioneer of the environmental movement.
Nash, Roderick. Wilderness and the American Mind. 2001.
A classic study of America 's changing attitudes towards wilderness. The latest (4th) edition explores the future of wilderness.
Peterson, Rolf. The Wolves of Isle Royale: A Broken Balance. 1995, 2007.
In this book, a wildlife biologist provides a first-hand account of a 25-year association with the study of the wild wolves of Isle Royale National Park and their prey, the moose.
Phillips, Kathryn. Tracking the Vanishing Frogs: An Ecological Mystery. 1995.
Phillips details scientists' efforts in wetlands, woodlands, rain forests, and laboratories to learn why so many species of frogs are vanishing. She describes the environmental and human factors that threaten the creature, and illustrates how science and scientists work.
Plotkin, Mark. Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest. 1994, 2001.
This book details research conducted by an ethnobotanist among native healers in the Amazon forest to identify native cures used for arthritis, skin fungi, colds, and other afflictions.
Preston, Richard. The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring. 2007.
In his book, The Wild Trees, Preston uses the timeless Northwestern redwood forest as the backdrop for a tale of nature, love, and history, taking the reader on a journey to discover the secrets that the great forest holds.
Quammen, David. Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions. 1997.
Quammen explores why island life differs so much from mainland life. By relaying the accounts of his globe-circling journey to the islands of Madagascar to Guam, Quammen shows why island biogeography yields important insights into the origins and extinction of species everywhere.
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. 1995.
When a man in search of truth answers an ad in a local newspaper from a teacher looking for serious students, he finds himself alone in an abandoned office with a gorilla named Ishmael. Quinn provides a new perspective on humanity's relationship to the world and, through Ishmael, offers a wide-ranging examination of our civilization, offering solutions for our global problems.
Quinn, Daniel. My Ishmael. 1998.
In the sequel to Ishmael, the gorilla has a new pupil who is 12 years old and intent on saving the world. Quinn critiques educational systems around the world, suggesting that their function is not to usefully dictate, but to regulate the flow of workers in a Taker society.
Raup, David. Extinction: Bad Genes or Bad Luck? 1992.
Raup, best known for his theory that extinctions come in 25-million-year cycles, examines what we know and don't know about extinction.
Reisner, Marc. Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water. 1986, 1993.
A provocative, opinionated, and interesting history of how California, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Corps of Engineers remade the West by damming its rivers. The author explores the early history of Western settlement and the mistaken belief of the time that "rain follows the plough."
Revkin, Andrew. Burning Season: The Murder of Chico Mendes and the Fight for the Amazon Rain Forest. 1990, 2004.
The story of the Brazilian rubber tapper and grass-roots environmentalist who was murdered in 1988.
Ruddiman, William F. Plows, Plagues and Petroleum: How Humans Took Control of Nature. 2005.
Climatologist William F. Ruddiman's book explains how scientists are able to determine our planet?s climatic history. He argues that humans have actually been changing the climate for some 8,000 years ? as a result of the earlier discovery of agriculture, and is the first to trace the full historical sweep of human interaction with Earth's climate.
Sagan, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. 1997.
An inquiry into why science is so hard to learn and teach and why so many people embrace the sort of ?pseudoscience? associated with New Age beliefs. Sagan shows how scientific thinking can cut through prejudice and hysteria and uncover the truth, and how it is necessary to safeguard our democratic institutions and our technical civilization.
Scarce, Rick. Eco-warriors: Understanding the Radical Environmental Movement. 1990, 2005.
Eco-warriors provided the first in-depth look at the people, actions, history, and philosophies of the controversial radical environmental movement. Scarce reviews several environmental groups with examples of their activities, and discusses the future of the movement; the updated 2005 version brings the path of the movement up to date.
Shermer, Michael. Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudo-Science, Superstition, and Other Confusions of our Time. 2002.
Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine that has been at the forefront of debunking beliefs that don't stand up to scientific inquiry, compiles a collection of pieces from the magazine.
Steingraber, Sandra. Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment. 1997.
Writing from the perspective of both a survivor and a scientist, the author links high concentrations of environmental toxins with the high incidence of cancer in rural Illinois.
Terborgh, John. Where Have all the Birds Gone? Essays on the Biology and Conservation of Birds that Migrate to the American Tropics. 1990.
By scrutinizing ill-planned urban and suburban development in the U.S. and tropical deforestation in Central and South America, Terborgh summarizes our knowledge of the subtle combination of circumstances that is devastating bird populations.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden.
An autobiography written when Thoreau spent two years living in a forest near Walden Pond provides a detailed account of his time living off the land and presents his critique of the contemporary Western world.
Turco, Richard. Earth Under Siege: From Air Pollution to Global Change. 1996, 2002.
Turco offers a description of environmental systems and provides a basic understanding of how the physical world functions and how human activities are impacting it. He defines underlying environmental principles and processes including the role of evolutionary forces in shaping the environment, Earth's energy balance, and biogeochemical cycles.
Wessels, Tom. Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England. 1999.
The author uses the forests in his native New England to demonstrate how to "read the landscape." He shows how to find evidence of human activities and disturbances, such as fire, logging, pastures, and blight, and how to trace the history of the land and the forests.
Wheelwright, Jeff. Degrees of Disaster: Prince William Sound: How Nature Reels and Rebounds. 1996.
An account of the ecological effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill on Prince William Sound, telling the complex story of a region where natural disturbance is normal. Wheelright concludes that the clean up efforts may have caused more damage than the oil did and that, left alone, the Sound would have repaired itself quickly.
Wilkinson, Charles. Crossing the Next Meridian : Land, Water, and the Future of the West. 1993.
Explores the core issues facing the American West now and in years to come. Wilkinson combines legal history with examples of present day consequences of the laws to trace the origins and development of the laws and regulations that govern mining, ranching, forestry, and water use.
Willis, Delta. The Sand Dollar and the Slide Rule: Drawing Blueprints from Nature. 1996.
Willis explores the relationship between natural forms and human design brings to life a group of architects, physicists, and biologists devoted to a new science of form called Construction Morphology. The book provides an account of how successful engineering and research often mirror the natural world.
Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. 1999, 2003.
With fascinating stories and rich detail, biologist Edward O. Wilson surveys the origin and role of species diversity and discusses areas of ongoing research in this field.
Wolfe, David. Tales from the Underground: A Natural History of Subterranean Life. 2002.
There are over one billion organisms in a pinch of soil, and many of them perform functions essential to all life on the planet, yet we know very little about soil life. Cornell ecologist David W. Wolfe takes a tour of this unfamiliar subterranean world, introducing the bizarre creatures that live there as well as the devoted scientists who study them.
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: The course is graded S/U. Students complete a series of questions related to the presentation for that week. This is worth 100% of the grade. The Environmental Science and Policy instructor of record for the course grades the assignments pass fail. Sevety percent (70%) and above is required for a passing grade. The percentages from each assignment are tallied and averaged and a passing grade (to receive an "S") is an average of 70% or above.
- Assignments, Exams and Tests: An assignment sheet based on each weekly presentation is completed and graded and is worth 100% of the course grade.
- Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)
Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
- Policy on Make-up Work: Students are required at attend 80% of the lectures each semester and to turn is assignment sheets for at least 80% of the lectures. No make up work is accepted. The students must attend the lecture to turn in the assignment sheet.
- Program This Course Supports: The doctoral program in Geography and Environmental Science and Policy, Specifically the newly proposed track in Environment, Sustainability and Planning
- Course Concurrence Information: Environmental Enginnering, Public Heath, some areas of Biology, Some areas of Anthropology,
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.