Environmental Studies Expand at Marist
A sea change is in store for the College’s environmental program of study.
Environmental students have the unique opportunity to study nature in magnificent scenery, including during last semester's short-term study abroad trip to Alaska. Source: Natalie Kelchner '24
Over a decade has passed since the Marist College environmental science and policy department updated its educational offerings–and an academic climate change is in store for current and prospective students.
Housed within the School of Science, the department trains students to become the next generation of environmental professionals. From research and consulting to nonprofit administration and politics, undergraduates are set up for success by gaining the transferable skills that come with a 21st century curriculum.
The newest academic offering is the B.A. in Environmental Earth Science, a dual degree that allows students to combine science and teaching coursework with an additional Masters in Adolescence Education. Within the span of five years, students can complete both their undergraduate and graduate requirements with current class choices.
Zion Klos, assistant professor of environmental science, was excited to spearhead the inception of the program. “I am the first faculty at Marist to specialize in earth sciences, and [it] is one of the core areas of study that is taught in high schools and middle schools,” he said.
Anastasia Fournaris ‘25 is the first and only student registered in the degree as of now, and it is the perfect avenue to get back in touch with her passion for environmental education. Having transferred from studying medicine at Stony Brook University, she has found her experience with the new major to be nothing but positive.
“It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with my future, so now that I’m finally there, it’s a relief, and I’m just excited to learn, and I’m excited to get to that finish line,” she said.
Heeding the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the department also plans to reshape its academic structure to increase its flexibility and attract more students. According to Richard Feldman, the chair of the department, only about 50 majors are represented at this time, and that number has remained consistent for years. Increasing enrollment has always been an ongoing issue, especially with competition from other equally professional programs at other schools.
Many undergraduates expose themselves to environmental science by participating in the Introduction to Environmental Issues class, which can be used towards the Marist Academic Core requirement. But not all continue into the major, which involves both biology and chemistry credit requirements. “We could reach a lot more [students] within the major if the major was not as restrictive as it is right now,” said Klos.
Currently, students can only major in environmental science and policy and choose the scientific or social scientific concentration outlined in the degree’s title. And so, the future objective is to provide two pathways for students: either a B.S. in Environmental Science or a B.A. in Environmental Studies.
With the new B.A. option, students will have enough space in their schedules to gain access to upper-level courses and even concentrate their studies by merging coursework with other academic disciplines such as fashion or business.
“They are newer disciplines because our world has such complex problems, and what we’re teaching in…you’d really be skilled at being an integrative thinker, and we’re working on teams, working with these complex problems, being able to communicate with folks,” said Klos.
As of right now, environmental students have a wide variety of courses at their disposal, including Environmental Politics and Policy, Advanced GIS and Ecology. More recent offerings include Natural History of the Hudson Valley, Biodiversity & Conservation and Indigenous Knowledge. If enough student demand calls for it, more elective classes could be added to the roster, including ones focused on oceanography, fisheries and wildlife ecology.
But climate change continues to be the universal focal point for all environmental coursework–that includes its causes and impacts, adaptation efforts and mitigation strategies. Hence why all faculty instructing the introductory environmental science course are required to include it as a topic in their teaching. “For the most part, the content is what you decide, but you must include Hudson River, you must include environmental justice and you must include climate disruption,” said Feldman.
With the Hudson Valley as the perfect backyard to learn about environmental science, it is an ideal place for students to take advantage of the diverse ecosystems that abound in the region. Hands-on learning takes place both on-campus, at locations such as the Donnelly Greenhouse and the Fern Tor Nature Preserve, and off-campus, such as excursions to the Catskills and Minnewaska State Park.
Faculty-led semester attachments offered through Marist Abroad allow students to combine traditional coursework with travel to further enhance learning opportunities. For an additional fee, students can register to study environmental issues in Ghana or Iceland at the conclusion of next semester–if they are at the top of the waitlist, that is.
Last spring, Natalie Kelchner ‘24 was one lucky participant in the program. Two days after earning her undergraduate degree in environmental science, she was on a plane to Alaska to spend two weeks in a cabin in the middle of an island. She and a group of 13 other students–the majority of whom she had never met–engaged in self-sustainability by catching and harvesting their own food and foregoing the luxury of taking regular showers.
But she found that the power of the natural world has the ability to bring people together in magical ways. “It’s just a completely different lifestyle than I’ve ever been in my life, and the relationship you build with people and your surroundings was absolutely unmatched,” she said.
Outside of classes, students from all Marist schools have the chance to engage with environmental stewardship. To work with their peers, they can join SEED (Students Encouraging Environmental Dedication) or get involved with the Student Government Association’s Sustainability Committee.
Students can even take advantage of the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee’s open membership policy to gain access to the behind-the-scenes working of eco-friendly campus initiatives. “[CSAC] gives students a direct link to faculty…and students can come to that committee with their particular interests. They have helped to drive the agenda in the past,” said Feldman.
Despite all the changes in motion, one thing has remained the same throughout all these years–student involvement and accomplishment within the field. Whether it be conducting summer research, attending international conferences or even getting paid to attend graduate school, undergraduates receive financial support from the College itself and personalized attention from faculty.
Nonprofit organizations such as Sustainable Hudson Valley and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater abound in the region, giving students the chance to stay engaged with local environmental issues. “The outcomes are really important to people, and then students do the presentation work back to the community,” said Klos.
For instance, Kelchner received a grant from the School of Science to conduct research on vernal pools over the summer of 2020, along with a fellow student. She then presented that research at a worldwide conference of the American Geophysical Union.
Opportunities like this come about due to the close-knit nature of the program, which involves individualized relationships with faculty. “They’re all wonderful, and they all work so hard to keep the program afloat. And if they didn’t, it would not exist without them,” she said.
Now in his 28th year at Marist, Feldman knows firsthand of the department’s positive impact on students, but there is one aspect that has surprised him most of all. “I think the level of student gratitude,” he said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”