ABOUT THE INSTITUTE
History and Strategic Plan Mission and Goals Message from the Director Strategic Partners Advisory Board
The Environmental Sciences program started at TCU in 1969 with the first Bachelors and Masters degrees awarded in 1973. Dr. Leo Newland, Professor of Biology and Geology, directed the program from 1973 to 2003. Dr. Michael Slattery assumed directorship of the program on 1 June 2003.
Recognizing an increasing need for trained environmental professionals, and in response to the recommendations from the Commission on the Future of TCU, Dean Mike McCracken of the College of Science and Engineering launched a strategic planning initiative during the summer of 2003. This year-long evaluation and consideration of TCU’s programs in Environmental Sciences was carried out by a committee of TCU faculty (including some from non-science disciplines) and representatives from government and industry entities that are involved in environmentally-related activities. The goal of this endeavor was to create a coherent, distinct, and readily identifiable program in environmental sciences, resources, and public policy. The first step in this process was the launch of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IES), a consortium of people from a number of schools and departments whose research, teaching, and outreach are directed toward interdisciplinary and integrative approaches to solving problems of the environment. The intent is for the Institute to play a leading role in supplying the science base and policy insight for what will be a major area of societal concern in this century. To date, 17 professors with national and international expertise in science, law, and management have joined the Institute’s faculty. The Institute also intends to recruit top visiting faculty and lecturers each year from other graduate schools, to teach individual courses and seminars. For the 2003-04 academic year, 25 undergraduate and 15 master's students are enrolled in the program. The institute is housed in the Sid Richardson building on TCU’s east campus.
Major program revisions and curricular initiatives have already been achieved. The undergraduate curriculum for Environmental Sciences gives students the academic preparation necessary to pursue graduate studies and/or careers related to natural resources and the environment. With our emphasis on responsible stewardship, core courses focused on modular teaching and key skill development (such as Environmental Methods and Statistics), and a flexible curriculum that allows both breadth and focus, the undergraduate degree now stands alone in the DFW Metroplex.
At the graduate level, the MS and MA degrees in Environmental Science offer students both a systematic, integrated approach to the study of natural resources and rigorous training in specific fields of study. These include environmental compliance and law, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, conservation biology, and ecosystem management. Through course work, research, and fieldwork, all graduates of the Institute develop the scientific understanding, theoretical perspectives, and professional skills needed to become effective and innovative administrators, policy makers, resource managers, landscape architects, researchers, or educators, all of whom play a significant role in shaping the future and solving critical environmental problems.
The IES also offers a new Master of Environmental Management degree with the M.J. Neeley School of Business, the only two-year professional degree of its kind in the region. This degree is designed to equip students with the skills needed to bridge the gaps between science, business, NGO’s, and government, and for those individuals who plan to enter or re-enter the workforce upon graduation. The degree plan requires coursework in both the natural sciences and business, with a particular focus on the relationship among science, management, and policy. The new program gives students much needed professional experience and will enable them to find employment with government agencies (regional, state, and federal), corporations, non-profit organizations, and environmental consulting firms in areas ranging from environmental policy and analysis, stewardship, education, or management dealing with natural resource issues.
Mission
The mission of the Institute for Environmental Studies is to assist in the definition and resolution of problems confronting society through excellence in environmental education and research.
As faculty, we are committed to providing students with cutting edge information, unique learning experiences, and quality instruction to understand basic earth and environmental processes. We believe it is important to teach the skills necessary to help practitioners manage natural and environmental resources to meet a range of human needs both at the local and global levels. Ultimately, we strive to provide classroom and field-based experiences that will enable students to become competent scientists and ethical leaders in our profession. As a consequence, we aim to become a nationally recognized leader in educating students to be innovative and effective stewards of the environment.
Goals
The environmental program at TCU has the following goals:
1. Provide students with the training and research experience necessary to enter the job market in the environmental and related fields at an advanced level in government and industry.
2. Maintain and increase the national and international research reputation of the program by involving students in all phases of environmental research, including presentation of scientific results at meetings.
3. Maintain a dynamic, scientifically challenging environment by attracting high-quality students into both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
4. Integrate more fully the undergraduate and graduate programs particularly as they relate to research. Good graduate students are important role models and mentors for the undergraduates, and graduate student research stimulates interest and activity among the undergraduate students at TCU.
5. Enhance the student’s ability to think critically, carry out independent work on a professional level, and communicate effectively in oral and written formats.
Click HERE to read a message from the Director
TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies will build on its accomplishments through creative and collaborative efforts with individuals and institutions anywhere excellence is found. To date, we have formed relationships with the following:
Botanical Research Institute of Texas
TCU has formed a partnership with the Botanical Research Institute of Texas
(BRIT), which is unique and gives us a significant advantage in the area of
botanical diversity. BRIT and TCU are now providing graduate-level opportunities
in environmental and biological conservation. The first group of four MS students
have begun their work at TCU this academic year. TCU is providing support,
course work, and academic infrastructure while BRIT is providing botanical
and ecological research opportunities in the field and museum. Dr. John Janovec,
Research Botanist at BRIT, is an adjunct faculty in the Institute, while several
other BRIT research scientists participate in TCU seminars and give lectures
in TCU courses.
Environmental
Trainers, Inc.
Environmental Trainers, Inc. (ETI) is a certified woman-owned business located
in Fort Worth, providing on-site training for air, land and water issues for
governmental agencies, industries and consultants. Becky Richards, president
of the company and an alumnus of TCU’s program, is an adjunct faculty
in the Institute. She teaches a range of courses in the areas of environmental
compliance, regulation, and management.
Haynes
and Boone
Three environmental lawyers from this firm, one of the largest and fastest-growing
law firms in the US, form, in effect, an in-house environmental practice group.
Laurence Gustafson, Ashley Brown Duffie, and Sarah Teachout, all highly regarding
in the legal profession, and now adjunct faculty at TCU, teach our environmental
law courses. The most substantive areas of environmental law are covered,
including air and water quality; hazardous and solid waste; water rights;
chemical regulation; hazmat transport; pesticides; radioactive materials;
Brownfields; endangered species; international environmental law; and administrative
law.
The
Roy Group
The Roy Group, based in Vancouver, Canada, provides customized leadership
development programs through coaching and retreat experiences. We are currently
working with The Roy Group to develop programs that can be incorporated into
our curriculum. These programs will focus on aspects such as the creation
of learning communities, conflict resolution, and environmental leadership.
