People, Equity, and the Environment Specialization

The purpose of this specialization is to give today's professional environmental managers a range of theoretical, conceptual, and methodological skills necessary for understanding how to critique, improve and implement models of environmental management that address historically engrained challenges.

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    For the reasons above, this specialization expands beyond ahistorical and technical training by focusing students on historical processes, power dynamics and changing societal values. We believe that any solution to global environmental problems must consider issues of social equity and human well-being, in addition to environmental sustainability.

    Note that a capstone course used to fulfill the MEM capstone requirement cannot also be used toward fulfilling an MEM Specialization requirement; a capstone course taken once cannot be used to fulfill multiple requirements. Learn more about YSE capstone courses by visiting the MEM Capstone page.

    Program Courses

    Core

    Two core courses required. Choose one course from Group A and one course from Group B.
    Those students who matriculated to the program prior to Fall 2021 may follow the requirement for their entering class of 2 required core courses: ENV 826 & ENV 759.

    Group A

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 759
    Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science
    Dove
    M 1:00-3:50
      Dove  
    ENV 839
    Power in Conservation
    Carpenter
    W 1:00-3:50
      Carpenter  

    Group B

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 631
    Poverty, Environment and Inequality
    Taylor
    Tu 1:00-3:50
             
    ENV 642
    Environmental Justice/Climate Justice
    Torres
    M,W 10:30-11:50
      Torres  

    Elective

    Students must take 3 courses from the "Social Sciences and Humanities" and at least 1 course from the "Ecological Sciences"

    Social Science Perspectives

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 561
    Energy Justice Seminar
      Torres
    M 10:30-11:50
           
    ENV 618
    Anthropology of Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries
      Carpenter
    W 1:00-3:50
      Carpenter
    ENV 633
    Critical Race Theory
    Torres
    Tu,Th 2:30-3:50
      Torres
    Tentative
     
    ENV 640
    Ethical Consumption: Promoting Workers’ Rights, Fair Prices, and Sustainability
      Robinson
    M,W 2:30-3:50
           
    ENV 645
    Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability
    Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50
      Seto
    Tentative
     
    ENV 648
    Organizing: People, Power, and Change
      Robinson
    M,W 10:30-11:50
           
    ENV 698
    Carbon Containment
    O’Rourke
    F 1:30-3:20
             
    ENV 742
    Fundamentals of Working with People
      DeCew
    Tu,Th 8:30-9:50
      Tentative
    ENV 764
    Sociology of Sacred Values: Modernity, Ecology, and Policy
            Farrell  
    ENV 772
    Indigenous Self-Government in the U.S. Constitutional Order
    Torres
    Th 4:10-6:00
             
    ENV 799
    Sustainable Development Goals and Implementation
      Faculty
    Tu,Th 11:35-12:50
           
    ENV 821
    Environmental Policymaking: From Local to Global
    Sanford
    M,W 2:30-3:50
      Sanford  
    ENV 836
    Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development
    Faculty
    W 1:30-5:20
      Faculty
    Tentative
     
    ENV 839
    Power in Conservation
    Carpenter
    W 1:00-3:50
      Carpenter  
    ENV 850
    International Organizations and Conferences
    Boyd
    Tu 1:00-3:50
      Boyd
    Tentative
     
    ENV 857
    Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries
    Kurukulasuriya
    Th 4:00-6:50
             
    ENV 860
    Developing Environmental Policies and Winning Campaigns
    Alt
    M 1:00-3:50
      Faculty
    Tentative
     
    ENV 877
    Anthropology of the Global Economy for Conservation and Development
                   
    ENV 878
    Climate and Society: Past to Present
    Dove
    Th 1:30-3:20
      Dove  
    ENV 962
    Tribal Resources and Sovereignty-Clinic
    Gonzalez-Rogers
    W 9:00-11:50
    Gonzalez-Rogers
    W 9:00-11:50
           
    ENV 975
    Western Lands and Communities Field Clinic: Research to Practice
      Farrell
    tbd
      Farrell

    Humanities: History, Religion and Ethics

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 637
    A Toolkit for Communicating Environmental Science
      Mooney
    M 9:00-11:50
           
    ENV 775
    Federal Indian Law
      Torres
    M,W 1:35-3:00
      Tentative
    ENV 959
    Clinic in Climate Justice, Climate Policy, the Law, and Public Health
    Faculty
    Th 1:00-2:50
    Faculty
    Tu 3:00-4:50
    Faculty
    Tentative
    Tentative
    ENV 970
    Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar)
    Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00
    Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00
    Kysar
    Tentative
    Tentative

    Ecological and Conservation Science

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 602
    Ecosystems and Landscapes
    Bradford
    M,W 9:00-10:20
      Bradford  
    ENV 629
    North American Drylands: Ecology and Land Use
      Lauenroth
    Tu,Th 9:00-10:20
      Lauenroth
    ENV 630
    The Physical Science of Climate Change
      Raymond
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50
      Raymond
    ENV 659
    The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology (Friday field trips)
      Ashton
    M,W 8:30-10:20
      Ashton
    ENV 660
    Forest Dynamics
    Duguid
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50
      Duguid  
    ENV 677
    Ecological Restoration
      Duguid
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50
      Duguid
    ENV 725
    Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate
              Saiers
    ENV 745
    Global Human-Wildlife Interactions
    Harris
    M,W 2:30-3:45
      Harris  
    ENV 963
    Case Studies in Water Management: Conflict and Cooperation
      Anisfeld
    Th 2:30-5:20
           
    ENV 966
    Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings
    Smiley Smith
    Th 1:00-3:50
      Smiley Smith  
    Illustration: leaves on oak branch each leaf a different skin tone

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