School of Earth, Environment and Society

The School of Earth, Environment and Society (SEES) was formed in 2007 to integrate Geology, Geography, and Environmental Studies and strengthen multidisciplinary research and teaching for understanding the earth’s processes and our interactions with the environment. The School offers an exciting and diverse range of teaching and research opportunities that are both disciplinary and interdisciplinary in approach. The interdisciplinary approach combines in-depth understandings of physical, chemical and biological processes intertwined with societal, earth, and environmental issues.

Our current interdisciplinary programs in the School are Geospatial Science and Environmental Quality. The programs consider issues that are likely to be dominant in the next century, including sustainability of human society, human health issues, population growth, global urbanization and industrialization, rapid consumption of natural and nonrenewable resources, environmental degradation, and climate change. Both programs feature the use of cutting-edge tools and technologies that are aimed to carry out advanced studies and address different research challenges.

“Space travel has given us a new appreciation for the Earth. We realize that the Earth is special. We've seen it from afar. We realize that the Earth is the only natural home for humans we know of, and that we had better protect it.”

         — James Erwin, US astronaut