Academics
Academic inquisition is at the heart of the University of Richmond. That’s why we try to make sustainability a part of everyone’s learning experience with various courses, lectures, research opportunities, and even a living and learning community. During the 2007–08 year, the School of Arts & Sciences sponsored the first annual Global Environment Speaker Series: Climate Change and Amazonia, which featured three guest lecturers. Plans for the 2008–09 year include an expansion of the series.
Environmental Studies Programs
The School of Arts & Sciences’ Environmental Studies Program is housed in the Gottwald Center for the Sciences. Students can major or minor in this program, which focuses on the relationship between humans and the environment by studying the Earth’s natural resources and our impact on them.
The School of Law houses the Robert J. Merhige Jr. Center for Environmental Studies, which conducts research on how the law should interface with environmental issues and engages in public outreach on environmental and energy issues, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region. The law school also offers an Environmental Law and Real Property concentration, which consists of classes on everything from coastal zone management to the environmental legislation process.
Sustainability-Associated Courses
Sustainability is a topic that crosses all disciplines, majors and departments. Here are a few of the many course offerings at Richmond that focus on environmental sustainability.
- Classics 398: Special Topics: Environmental Archaeology
- Geography 320: Political Geography
- Geography 345: Sustainable Development
- Geography 370: Economic Geography
- Journalism 304: Seminar: Journalism and the Environment
- Philosophy 280: Environmental Ethics
- Religion 269: Ethics, Religion and the Environment
Research Opportunities
When the environment is your subject, research opportunities are abundant. So far, various departments in addition to the sciences have seized the opportunity to study the environment, including the departments of Journalism and Geography.
Journalism students got the chance to cover environmental issues and stories for the department’s online magazine. Geography students also had several opportunities to conduct research from examining globally important natural resources connected to the Amazonian region to compiling a report entitled “Climate Change and Student Behavior: Recommendations for the University of Richmond.”
Earth Lodge
The Earth Lodge is a living and learning community, housed in Lakeview Hall, which brings together students and professors who are interested in studying and learning about their natural environment.
If you have questions about academics and sustainability at Richmond, contact Rachel Beanland at rbeanlan@richmond.edu or (804) 289-8418.