Instructor: Larry Feinstein

This course provides an opportunity to combine experimental design, data analysis, and result reporting while working to optimize the production of greenhouse produce. After learning about plant nutritional needs, soil properties, and various fertilizer sources, students will develop hypotheses and growing trial conditions to compare the impact of different fertilizer sources on produce growth rates, biomass, and yield.

Instructor: Jason Johnston

All students enrolled in a Research Learning Experience (RLE) course will participate in this 3-day experience. Through participation in these immersion experiences, students will build relationships with their peers, connect with their instructor in a way that facilitates future mentorship, develop a sense of belonging to their university and broader communities, learn introductory-level skills of inquiry, investigation, and application, expand their capacity for team-work and collaboration with others, and begin development of an intellectual growth mindset.

Instructor: Judith Roe

What is in our water? What animals live in local waters? Explore the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect which animals are leaving their DNA behind in local streams and rivers. Local water resources may be polluted with "forever chemicals (PFAS)". We will measure PFAS levels and then detect which animals are present in the water using eDNA.

Instructor: Chunzeng Wang

Students will evaluate relationships among energy consumption, environmental hazards, new technologies, and sustainability. Students will survey the scientific literature and conduct field work at local renewable energy facilities and mineral resource sites. Note: one Friday afternoon and one Saturday all-day field trip is required.

Instructor: Mark E Royer

Students will work through technical programming problems that arise when working with real-world scientific data. To start, students will consult biologists or environmental scientists to determine a domain-specific data set to investigate for the semester. By the semester's conclusion, students will have gained experience with programming techniques for data analysis and data visualization.

Instructor: Brent S Andersen

This course will examine the origins, manifestations, and consequences of political extremism, violence, and terrorism, using selected examples from both within the U.S. and around the globe. It will also explore how nations and security alliances respond to these threats. Learning outcomes will include understanding the research tools that scholars use to investigate these threats. Students will use these tools to create a case study profile of an extremist or terrorist organization.

Instructor: Jason Johnston

We hear so much about climate change problems – but what are the solutions to these? Through local exploration of forest, agricultural, and other ecosystems – and how humans benefit from these - this course will examine these problems with an eye toward solving, mitigating, or adapting to climate challenges. Students interested in ecosystems, energy, agriculture, policy, or environmental justice will be able to develop their own mini-project to propose a solution to a local problem.