About
The Environmental Science program at Saint Michael’s College gives students the opportunity to improve their scientific understanding of the human impact on our natural world and to engage in environmental problem-solving. The curriculum is strongly rooted in chemistry and biology, and incorporates courses from our vibrant Environmental Studies program and from the humanities and social sciences. Students also have significant flexibility to tailor their degree to their individual interests.
Environmental Science students benefit from extensive interaction with dedicated faculty, both in and out of the classroom, and they receive hands-on experience with modern scientific instrumentation in the laboratory. Students can expect to make extensive use of our Vermont setting during the field-based portions of their laboratory experiences. Many experiential learning opportunities are available to complement their studies, including study abroad, community-engaged learning, student-faculty research, and many interesting internships. Students may also get involved in the environmental student groups and activities on our campus including Green Up and the Environmental Council.
Learn more about the Environmental Science program from our Saint Michael’s professors in the video below:
Faculty
Environmental Studies and Science
Clay Williams
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Science
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Environmental Studies and Science
Kristyn Dumont Achilich
Director, The Patrick ’61 and Marcelle Leahy Institute for the Environment; Senior Sustainability Officer; Instructor, Education
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Environmental Studies and Science
Trevien Stanger
Instructor of Environmental Studies; Program Manager of Ecological Restoration, Institute for the Environment
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Environmental Studies and Science
Laura Stroup
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Science
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The Environmental Science major at Saint Michael’s combines Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics with courses in the social sciences and humanities to provide a deep understanding of the environment and environmental issues. From your first Environmental Science class through your senior seminar, you will be engaged in both the laboratory and field work. In more advanced coursework you will learn and master analytical methods in multiple scientific fields. The program provides opportunities for internships as well as faculty-student research.
Students study in several nearby field sites including our 300 acre ecological reserve which is undergoing a student-driven ecological restoration project. We believe in making the Saint Michael’s College campus a living laboratory.
As an environmental scientist at Saint Michael’s College, you will develop robust and industry-relevant research skills driven by hands-on lab and field experiences. You will have ample opportunities to examine your environmental interests and to design your career path. You will be guided by engaged professors with advanced training in laboratory and field methodologies. Our small classes and a strong emphasis on faculty-student research and mentoring prepare students for a variety of environmental career paths and post-graduate opportunities.
Research
Environmental Research Opportunities
Saint Michael’s College professors in the Environmental Studies and Science, Biology, Chemistry programs mentor students in active research programs in areas including biological assessment of land use impacts, studies of invasive fish and invertebrate species in Lake Champlain, and the impacts of pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems, and soil chemistry dynamic interactions between vegetation and soil chemistry. These research efforts are funded by external and internal sources including Vermont EPSCoR, Vermont Genetics Network, the John C. Hartnett Endowment, the Gianni Fund, and the Trustees fund for summer research. Saint Michael’s College students studying environmental issues have presented their research locally, nationally, and internationally at meetings including:
- New England Association of Environmental Biologists
- Vermont EPSCoR Student Symposium
- Lake Champlain Research Consortium Student Symposium
- Benthic Ecology meeting in Corpus Christi
- Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography meeting in San Juan
- American Fisheries Society in Quebec City
- International Society of Limnology in Montreal
Below is a video of Saint Michael’s College students presenting research findings at the EPSCoR Symposium, just one example of the research you can do at St. Mike’s.
Internships
Internships
The Environmental Science Major specifically requires an internship experience to complement the in-class academic strengths of the program. This feature of the major serves to distinguish our graduates and provide opportunities for our students to apply their environmental science knowledge to real-world situations. These internship experiences can include credit bearing and/or paid experiences that occur during academic semesters or summer. Internship experiences can relate to water or wastewater treatment (Essex Sewage Plant), bioassessment (Aquatec Biological Sciences), pollution monitoring (Vermont EPSCoR), or an array of research opportunities with faculty members in the Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies programs at Saint Michael’s College.
Study Abroad
Study Abroad
A substantial proportion of Saint Michael’s College students participate in study abroad programs. Academic advisors help Environmental Science Majors with the specifics of programs that expand upon the depth and scope of our programs.
Our students often participate in programs that offer courses such as Marine Biology and Geology that are not currently offered on Saint Michael’s College campus.
Saint Michael’s College is also an affiliate member of the School for Field Studies, which provides semester-long and summer programs in natural resource ecology and management at its field stations in Costa Rica, Mexico, the Turks & Caicos Islands (in the eastern Caribbean), Australia, and Kenya.
Careers
Our graduates are ready to enter the workforce or graduate programs in areas of Environmental Science such as:
- Green Chemistry
- Water Treatment
- Environmental Assessment
- Conservation
- Environmental Law
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Management
In-Depth
The Environmental Science major at Saint Michael’s combines Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics with courses in the social sciences and humanities to provide a deep understanding of the environment and environmental issues. From your first Environmental Science class through your senior seminar, you will be engaged in both the laboratory and field work. In more advanced coursework you will learn and master analytical methods in multiple scientific fields. The program provides opportunities for internships as well as faculty-student research.
Students study in several nearby field sites including our 300 acre ecological reserve which is undergoing a student-driven ecological restoration project. We believe in making the Saint Michael’s College campus a living laboratory.
As an environmental scientist at Saint Michael’s College, you will develop robust and industry-relevant research skills driven by hands-on lab and field experiences. You will have ample opportunities to examine your environmental interests and to design your career path. You will be guided by engaged professors with advanced training in laboratory and field methodologies. Our small classes and a strong emphasis on faculty-student research and mentoring prepare students for a variety of environmental career paths and post-graduate opportunities.
Research
Environmental Research Opportunities
Saint Michael’s College professors in the Environmental Studies and Science, Biology, Chemistry programs mentor students in active research programs in areas including biological assessment of land use impacts, studies of invasive fish and invertebrate species in Lake Champlain, and the impacts of pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems, and soil chemistry dynamic interactions between vegetation and soil chemistry. These research efforts are funded by external and internal sources including Vermont EPSCoR, Vermont Genetics Network, the John C. Hartnett Endowment, the Gianni Fund, and the Trustees fund for summer research. Saint Michael’s College students studying environmental issues have presented their research locally, nationally, and internationally at meetings including:
- New England Association of Environmental Biologists
- Vermont EPSCoR Student Symposium
- Lake Champlain Research Consortium Student Symposium
- Benthic Ecology meeting in Corpus Christi
- Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography meeting in San Juan
- American Fisheries Society in Quebec City
- International Society of Limnology in Montreal
Below is a video of Saint Michael’s College students presenting research findings at the EPSCoR Symposium, just one example of the research you can do at St. Mike’s.
Internships
Internships
The Environmental Science Major specifically requires an internship experience to complement the in-class academic strengths of the program. This feature of the major serves to distinguish our graduates and provide opportunities for our students to apply their environmental science knowledge to real-world situations. These internship experiences can include credit bearing and/or paid experiences that occur during academic semesters or summer. Internship experiences can relate to water or wastewater treatment (Essex Sewage Plant), bioassessment (Aquatec Biological Sciences), pollution monitoring (Vermont EPSCoR), or an array of research opportunities with faculty members in the Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies programs at Saint Michael’s College.
Study Abroad
Study Abroad
A substantial proportion of Saint Michael’s College students participate in study abroad programs. Academic advisors help Environmental Science Majors with the specifics of programs that expand upon the depth and scope of our programs.
Our students often participate in programs that offer courses such as Marine Biology and Geology that are not currently offered on Saint Michael’s College campus.
Saint Michael’s College is also an affiliate member of the School for Field Studies, which provides semester-long and summer programs in natural resource ecology and management at its field stations in Costa Rica, Mexico, the Turks & Caicos Islands (in the eastern Caribbean), Australia, and Kenya.
Careers
Our graduates are ready to enter the workforce or graduate programs in areas of Environmental Science such as:
- Green Chemistry
- Water Treatment
- Environmental Assessment
- Conservation
- Environmental Law
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Management
