Course Listings

511 Ecological Patterns and Processes : The course, which meets Aug. 29–Oct. 5, gives students a fundamental mechanistic understanding about the way abiotic (e.g., climate) and biotic (e.g., resources, competitors, predators) factors determine pattern in the distribution and abundance of species. Students learn how individuals within a species cope with changing environmental conditions by altering their behavior, making physiological adjustments, and changing the allocation of resources among survival growth and reproduction. Students learn how populations of species coexist within communities and how species interactions within communities can drive ecosystem functioning. Students also learn how ecologists use scientific insight to deal with emerging environmental problems such as protecting biodiversity, understanding the consequences of habitat loss on species diversity, and forecasting the effects of global climate change on species population viability and geographic distribution.  : Kealoha Freidenburg : Kealoha Freidenburg

512 Microeconomics for Environmental Management : This six-week course which meets August 29 - October 5 provides an introduction to microeconomic analysis and its application to environmental policy. Students study how markets work to allocate scarce resources. This includes consideration of how individuals and firms make decisions, and how policy analysts seek to quantify the benefits and costs of consumption and production. We consider the conditions under which markets are beneficial to society and when they fail. We see that market failure arises frequently in the context of environmental and natural resource management. The last part of the course focuses on the design of environmental and natural resource policies to address such market failures. The course is designed to cover basic knowledge of economics analysis and prepare students for F&ES 834 and other more advanced offerings. : TBD Faculty : Matthew J. Kotchen

521 Physical Science Foundations for Environmental Managers : This required foundational course provides students with the physical science basics that they need in order to understand and manage environmental problems. The course draws on the following disciplines: climatology, environmental chemistry, geology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, and soil science. Focus is on understanding both the underlying concepts and how they apply to real-world environmental challenges. Useful both as a freestanding course and as a gateway to a wide spectrum of intermediate and advanced courses : Shimon C. Anisfeld : Shimon C. Anisfeld

522 Topics in Community Engagement : To be offered as a Fall-2 course, Oct. 21- Dec 6

This basic knowledge course is designed to introduce students to a range of socio-cultural and political factors that drive the actions of individual and communities surrounding natural resource management.

In Part 1: Introduction to social science and conservation we will explore basic questions such as: What is knowledge? And What is Nature? Students will be introduced to the many disciplines that the intersection of environmental problems, and specific attention will be placed on the field of political ecology.

In Part 2: Justice and Indigenous Peoples we will learn the basic concepts of “justice” and discussion the ways in which climate change can be seen as a justice issue.  We will also explore the thorny issues of integrating local knowledge with scientific knowledge.

In Part 3: Environmental Governance we explore the role of the state and markets in shaping natural resource use.  Concepts like property rights, the commons, and decentralization will be introduced. 

Finally, in Part 4: Pulling it together: Working with communities we will talk about basic approaches to community-based, participatory research and how to integrate culture and livelihoods into conservation. : Amity Doolittle : Amity Doolittle

550 Natural Science Research Methods :

The course prepares students to design and execute an intensive research project. It covers elementary principles and philosophy of science; research planning, including preparation, criticism, and oral presentation of study plans; communicating research findings; limitations of research techniques; the structure of research organizations; and professional scientific ethics

: William Lauenroth : William Lauenroth

551 Qualitative Social Science Research :

This course is designed to provide a broad introduction to issues of qualitative research methods and design. The course is intended for both doctoral students who are in the beginning stage of their dissertation research, as well as master’s students developing research proposals for their thesis projects. The course covers the basic techniques of designing qualitative research and for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative data. We explore three interrelated dimensions of research: theoretical foundations of science and research, specific methods available to researchers for data collection and analysis, and the application and practice of research methods. The final product for this course is a research proposal.

: Amity Doolittle : Amity Doolittle

577 PSC: Environmental Communicator (Dates TBD) :

This course prepares students for the communication tasks they will face as environmental professionals, researchers, or employees.  In their careers, most professionals spend more than half their work time communicating with others, both inside and outside their organization. To advance in their careers and contribute to the progress of an environmental cause, students need a refined ability to communicate their ideas with clarity and credibility. This course focuses on building a constellation of skills that students can apply to their work. They learn how to use communication to influence others, advocate their ideas, and collaborate with colleagues on project teams. Course topics include strategy in communication, diplomatic language, public speaking, writing styles, listening to people, and framing environmental issues for the public.  The course meets for a weekly two-hour lecture and demonstration, and students attend a one-hour small group practice session that allows them to reinforce new communicative behaviors in simulated job tasks, such as project meetings, budget requests, and public hearings.

: William Vance : William Vance

578 PSC: Financial Concepts for Environmental Managers :

This course which meets October 21-December 2) exposes students to the financial concepts used by companies to make and evaluate business decisions. The class covers key financial statements of for-profit businesses; building financial projections for a business, project, or investment; financial markets: what they are and how they operate; investors: the tools they use to evaluate potential investments; and common valuation techniques: uses and limitations. Meeting dates to be determined.

: Maureen Burke : Maureen Burke

583 American Energy History : From the powerful winds that carried ships across the oceans to the coal and oil that fueled industrial growth, energy production and consumption have shaped American history and powered the nation’s grandest ambitions. This course examines how the American energy system evolved over time, and why. How has the struggle to control and deploy energy shaped American politics and economic development? What have been the impacts of energy transitions on social and environmental change?  : : Paul Sabin

584 Agricultural Climate Change Mitigation (January 15-February 19) : : Eric Toensmeier : Eric Toensmeier

590 The Climate Change Negotiations: A Practical Approach : This course meets on four evenings in the fall, October 22, 29, November 5 & 12

This course introduces students to the history of the international climate change negotiations (from the UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement), discusses the ways in which negotiating differences are typically resolved, identifies the issues to be addressed at this year’s Conference of the Parties, and concludes with a mock negotiation.  : Susan Biniaz : Susan Biniaz

592 Documentary Film Workshop : This workshop in audiovisual scholarship explores ways to present research through the moving image. Students work within a Public Humanities framework to make a documentary that draws on their disciplinary fields of study. Designed to fulfill requirements for the M.A. with a concentration in Public Humanities. : Charles Musser :

595 Yale Environment Review : : Matthew J. Kotchen : TBD Faculty

601 Perspectives: Bristol Bay / Pebble Mine : Schedule will also include discussion sessions
: Julie Zimmerman : Julie Zimmerman : Paul Anastas

604 Public Health Entrepreneurship & Intrapraneurship : This course aims to familiarize students with the principles and practice of innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of public health, as defined by the well being of society, including social and environmental determinants of health. We examine a set of public health challenges within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using a hybrid method combining case studies and assignments. Case studies provide an opportunity to analyze cross-cutting challenges faced by innovators and entrepreneurs in the field of public health. Assignments allow students to dig deeper into specific topic areas within public health innovation and entrepreneurship. The target audience for this course includes graduate and undergraduate students in the MBA, MAM, MPH, and other programs at Yale SOM, SPH, and across campus. It is a precursor, but not a prerequisite, for Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship where students design ventures tackling social challenges through new or existing organizations. : Teresa Chahine :

609 Advanced Seminar in Industrial Ecology: Waste Management and the Circular Economy : Diversion of waste from disposal has been a long-standing issue in environmental policy and management. It has gained renewed salience as the notion of the circular economy (CE) has captured the imagination of policymakers, business leaders, and environmental advocates around the world. The CE has also been challenged as to its environmental goals, scientific foundations, and economic feasibility. In a circular economy resources are kept in circulation for as long as possible, the maximum value is extracted from them while in use, and products and materials are recovered at end of life for continued productive usage. The core conception of closing material cycles and key strategies in the circular economy—reduction, reuse, recycling, extension of product lifespans, product-service systems, systems analysis—have been proposed and examined for more than two decades in industrial ecology. This seminar will start with an introduction to solid waste management systems as they exist in developed countries. In the second half of the semester, the seminar will explore the environmental and resource premises and possibilities of the circular economy through examination of the core literature followed by a deeper dive into several elements of the CE.The goal of this 3-credit seminar is twofold: (1) to develop a sophisticated understanding of the circular economy in order to assess its potential in contributing to sustainability and (2) to apply the concepts and methods of industrial ecology. : Reid J. Lifset :

611 Introduction to Environmental Data Science : This course provides an introduction to the rapidly growing and promising area of data science in environmental and social-environmental research that is accompanying the explosion of data in our digital age. The course helps students develop highly marketable tech skills and incubate and launch new interdisciplinary collaborative projects at Yale that integrate data science techniques to solve important problems. Nearly every aspect of life is now connected (e.g., mobile phones, smart devices, social media) and/or digitized (e.g., book archives, government records, websites, communication), and observation of the natural environment increasingly occurs in digital form. In this course, students are introduced to various techniques and software for wrangling, cleaning, managing, and analyzing data and text at various scales, with an emphasis on integrating these methods into analysis and research. The course has an innovative format that leverages distributed knowledge around Yale. Students meet as a whole class a few times during the term to cover overarching topics. Meanwhile, students also work with the instructors to: (1) design a coherent path of study using the resources of StatLab, YCRC, and other workshops around campus, and (2) create a data project that will be presented to the class at the end of the term. : Eli Fenichel : TBD Faculty : Simon Queenborough : Jennifer Marlon

613 Writing as a Public Scholar : : Stephanie Hanes Wilson : Stephanie Hanes Wilson

616 Business and Environment Solutions: 7 by 7 (Fall-2) : 7x7: Seven wicked challenges in business and the environment – seven weeks to come up with a solution.
 
You have studied business and the environment for years and you are left with the feeling that there is a lot of talk out there and very few solutions. Here is your chance to try to address some of the stickiest, and yet tangible, challenges at the intersection of business and the environment.
 
In this project-based course, we present student teams with 7 constrained, yet recalcitrant challenges at the intersection of business and the environment on day one. In each challenge, we have a potential game-changing idea to address a major environmental problem, but little idea how to make that idea into a reality through business.
 
Each team will select one challenge. Seven weeks later, your team will present your business solution.
 
In the meantime, we will provide resources (people, literature, frameworks, standards, tools and suggestions) to help you explore the ins and outs of your challenge. We call these resource packs a ‘live-case study’ as they require interaction with live experts in the field. We will also provide a weekly discussion with faculty, entrepreneurs, innovators and out-of-the-box business thinkers that are working on other challenges in the field so that you can glean ideas on how to think about your challenge in new and innovative ways.
 
We will not provide any solutions, because there are no solutions yet. At the end of the class, we will judge each other based on your process of thinking through the problems, the comprehensiveness of analysis, the implementability and expected effectiveness of the business solution and the skill with which you present your case.
 
This course is appropriate for those students with a background and curriculum experience in both business and the environment. Our expectation is that students will have sufficient familiarity with their team challenge to ‘hit the ground running’.
[1]Teams may select their own challenge, but resource packs will only provided for the seven challenges below : : Todd Cort

619 Ethics and Ecology : This is a philosophical introduction to Environmental Ethics. The course will introduce students to the basic contours of the field of environmental ethics and to a small number of special topics and special philosophical problems within that field. No philosophical background is required or expected. : Stephen Latham : Stephen Latham

625 Writing Workshop : This is a half-semester course aimed at helping students improve their writing. The goal is not to try to shape students into professional writers, but rather to develop their writing skills and make them better able to communicate their work and ideas through writing – writing that is clear, accessible, and free of jargon. Students will be required to write short pieces weekly and one longer article. The class is organized as a workshop, with students reading and commenting on each other’s work. The instructor will be available for weekly meetings with students to discuss their writing. There will be regular readings of articles or short book selections, but the focus will be on developing the students’ own writing. Students will be evaluated on: completing all assignments on time; the quality of their work; the progress their writing shows over the course of the class; and participation in discussions : Roger Cohn : Roger Cohn

628 Global Aspects of Food and Nutrition : The course presents a core topic in global health and development that is at the intersection of science, society, and policy. The course familiarizes students with leading approaches to analyzing the causes of malnutrition in countries around the world and to designing and evaluating nutrition interventions. It covers micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies; approaches to reducing malnutrition; the cultural, economic, environmental, agricultural, and policy context within which malnutrition exists; and the relationships between common infections and nutritional status. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty

632 Intro to Social Entrepreneurship : Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship is a practice-based course in which students from across campus form interdisciplinary teams to work on a social challenge of their choice. Teams include students from SOM, SPH, FES, YDS, Jackson Institute, and other schools and programs. Students start by identifying a topic area of focus, then form teams based on shared interests and complementary skills. Over the course of thirteen weeks, student teams delve into understanding the challenge through root cause analysis, research on existing solutions and populations affected; then apply human centered design thinking and systems thinking to design, prototype, test, and iterate solutions. Using tools such as the theory of change, logframe, business canvas, and social marketing strategy; teams build and test their impact models, operational models, and revenue models. Readings and assignments from the textbook “Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship” are used to guide this journey. These include technical templates, case studies, and interviews with social entrepreneurs and thought leaders in different sectors and geographies around the world. The class meets weekly for three hours in a workshop-style session, and includes guests from local social enterprises who join the class to share their experience, advice and challenges. At the end of the semester, student teams pitch their ventures to a panel of judges including social venture funders and social entrepreneurs. Teams are encouraged, but not required, to submit their ventures to one of the campus wide startup prizes (see: city.yale.edu/funding). While there are no prerequisites, this course builds on the SOM core course Innovator, and electives including Principles of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship & New Ventures, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Public Health, Global Social Entrepreneurship, Managing Social Enterprises, Business & the Environment Solutions. : Teresa Chahine : Teresa Chahine

645 Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability : Urbanization and associated changes in human activities on the land (land use) and in the physical attributes of Earth’s surface (land cover) have profound environmental consequences.  Aggregated globally, these effects constitute some of the most significant human impacts on the functioning of Earth as a system.  This class examines the interactions and relationships between urbanization and global change at local, regional, and global scales with an emphasis on the biophysical aspects of urbanization. Topics include urbanization in the context of global land use change, habitat and biodiversity loss, modification of surface energy balance and the urban heat island, climate change and impacts on urban areas, urban biogeochemistry, and urbanization as a component of sustainability. Emphasis is on management of urban areas worldwide or at national scales for planetary sustainability.  : Karen C. Seto : Karen C. Seto

653 Maple: From Tree to Table : This course covers the cultural, industrial, and sustainable practices of non-timber forest products through the lens of maple sap and syrup. Maple sugar is a forest product unique to northeastern North America, and it has seen a resurgence in interest as global consumers seek nutritious, natural, and sustainably produced foods. This course covers the booming industry and culture around maple syrup, from backyard operations through modern 100,000-tap investment operations. Maple producers are on the front lines of climate change and forest health threats. The course provides students with the knowledge of how challenges related to forest health and climate change are directly impacting maple producers and how these producers are learning to adapt in ways that are environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, and financially competitive in a global market. : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice

658 Global Resources, International Resource Exchanges, and the Environment : Students first learn the global distribution of resources—the amounts, importance, and causes of distribution, and potential changes to soils, water, biodiversity, human societies, energy sources, climates, agriculture, forests and forest products, minerals, and disturbances. They also learn how to analyze and interpret data on global resource distributions. Second, they gain an understanding of the value of multiple-country trading of resources. Third, they gain an understanding of the many mechanisms that facilitate such exchanges, including policies and treaties; business, markets, trading partners, and economics; “good will”; social “taboos”; force; news media; philanthropy; skillful negotiations; cultural/social affiliation; technologies; shared infrastructures; and others. Four teaching methods are used: lectures on the different resources and policy mechanisms; analytical exercises for understanding how to use and interpret international data—and its limitations; a class negotiation exercise for learning the uses of international trade; and guest lectures by faculty and meetings with practitioners for learning the facilitation mechanisms : Chadwick Dearing Oliver :

669 Forest Ecosystem Management and Operations (Friday field trips) :

The operational aspects of managing forestland are taught, including topics essential to the professional practice of forest management. Operational aspects of regeneration, intermediate tending, and harvesting (planning, layout, implementation, and postoperation evaluation), best management practices, regulatory and wetlands considerations, and socioeconomic dimensions of field operations are the focus. The ethical and professional responsibilities of forest managers who are responsible for land-altering activities are also considered. The course includes considerable field time to help students utilize their existing knowledge about forests to rapidly assess stands and land parcels with respect to the planning and implementation of on-the-ground treatments. Classes feature local field trips to view forestry operations and to develop and refine field skills.

The course can be taken for 2 credits by any student at F&ES or combined with the 1-credit Southern Forest and Forestry Field Trip (F&ES 670b) for 3 credits.

: Michael Ferrucci : TBD Faculty

681 Ethnobotany (First class begins Sept 10) :

First class begins Sept 10

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the interdisciplinary nature of ethnobotany studies from the perspective of a field researcher, aiming to highlight the methods used in ethnobotanical research and to showcase the diversity of contemporary field studies in ethnobotany. Topics discussed during the course will encompass changing traditional knowledge systems, community-based resource-management, conservation of biocultural diversity, migration and urbanization, smallholder tropical agriculture & traditional food plants, and community health. Classes will combine Powerpoint lectures around key topics and group discussion of selected scientific readings. Guest lectures of invited scientists will allow students to learn first-hand about on-going research projects.  
This will be an interactive course with students expected to actively participate in class and discuss the readings listed each week in group, in moderator-audience style. Each week, two rotating students will serve as moderators. Class discussion of readings will focus on the critical reflection of the research questions and/or methods used by the authors, experimental study design (when applicable), the main findings of the papers, as well as the conclusions inferred by the authors. To broaden and deepen class discussion, students are expected to actively peruse papers in ethnobotanical journals such as the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, Economic Botany, Journal of Ethnobiology, Human Ecology, Ethnobiology and Conservation, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, and related journals to find other papers on the topics discussed.

: Ina Vandebroek :

684 Forest Finance : : Dominick Grant : Dominick Grant : Deborah Spalding

692 Science and Practice of Temperate Agroforestry : This course explores the science and practices of temperate agroforestry, covering current knowledge of agroforestry science and shedding light on the myths and assumptions that have yet to be tested regarding the integration of trees in agricultural systems. The course begins with an overview of modern agriculture to help us better understand why agroforestry systems have potential to improve the sustainability of farming systems. We also cover the social science regarding agroforestry and why it has not been widely adopted. Silvopasture and forest farming systems are the primary focus, but windbreaks, alley cropping, and riparian forest buffers are also covered. The field of agroforestry has struggled with the promotion of hypothetical practices; this course introduces students to real-world production agroforestry systems and helps them better contribute to financially viable and environmentally sound agricultural operations. : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice

700 Alpine, Arctic, and Boreal Ecosystems Seminar :

Biogeoclimatic analysis of these systems worldwide with special attention to biogeography, biometeorology, physiology, histology, morphology, autecology, and silviculture of high-elevation and high-latitude forests through lectures, guest lectures and discussions, student seminars, and field experience.

: Graeme P. Berlyn : Graeme P. Berlyn : Xuhui Lee

718 Climate Change Seminar : Critically reading the scientific literature is a key skill set for a scientific career. So is interacting with scientists during seminars and meetings. The goal of this class is to provide opportunities to improve these skills, while gaining competence in climate change science through reading a core set of papers. This class will meet Wednesdays at 230pm to interact with experts and a second TBD time to discuss the papers. During the TBD class we will critically discuss a paper by an expert in the field. On Wednesday, we will skype that person in for a short presentation on the paper and then a discussion between the class and the scientist. The speakers have a broad range of experience and are at the different points in their career and the last bit of discussion will be reserved for questions on the scientific process and career advice. There will be a wide range of topics such as permafrost vulnerability, sea-level rise, ice sheet dynamics, and ocean acidification. : Peter A. Raymond :

719 Making Climate Knowledge : This is a course about how humans have come to know what we know about our impacts on the earth’s climate and our vulnerability to climate change. This historical question is pivotal to thinking about who bears moral responsibility for the climate crisis. At what point in history did humans become the first species to alter the conditions of life on earth in full consciousness of the consequences of their actions? When did people first know that their actions, in the aggregate, could transform the planet? At what point did their knowledge outweigh their uncertainty? Did scientists bear responsibility to warn of these consequences? What evidence did their knowledge rest on? In what ways has the modern science of climate both appropriated and undermined traditional and indigenous forms of climate knowledge? What makes modern climate science “modern”?

: TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty

720 Introduction to R : This seminar provides an overview and introduction to the statistical software R for the analysis and graphical presentation of natural and social science data. We follow a flipped style of teaching, with class time primarily used for worked examples and problems. Students also work together in small groups to analyze data from collaborators (or the student’s own data) with a view to publication. The course provides the practical training in R for theoretical courses such as F&ES 510 and 753; they can be taken concurrently or sequentially, although some statistics background is preferred. : Simon Queenborough : Simon Queenborough

730 Economics of Sustainability : to be offered 2019-2020 : : Eli Fenichel

747 Global Communication Skills :

This course helps students to sharpen their language and strategy in professional communication. Course topics include accent reduction, language accuracy, writing styles, presentation skills, meeting leadership, barriers to communication, and types of persuasion in multicultural contexts. We first address aspects of intelligibility, exploring how improved word choices and speech clarity affect audience understanding. We then look at the problem of comprehension and discuss strategies for increasing the student’s ability to listen accurately and read efficiently. We also examine common difficulties and cultural differences in the arrangement of information, use of evidence, and academic argumentation. Several sessions are devoted to specific skills, such as negotiating agreements and writing research reports. The course meets for lecture (two hours), and students attend a weekly small group practicum (one hour). The practicum allows students to reinforce new communicative behaviors in oral and written assignments, while receiving feedback from peers and the instructor. As students polish their skills, they improve their ability to express ideas and to interact in both academic and professional contexts.

 

 

: William Vance : William Vance

750 Writing the World :

This is a practical writing course meant to develop your skills as a writer. But its real subject is perception and the writer’s authority—the relationship between what you notice in the world around you and what, culturally speaking, you’re allowed to notice. What you write during the semester is driven entirely by your own interest and attention. How you write is the question at hand. We’ll be exploring the overlapping habitats of language—present and past—and the natural environment. And, to a lesser extent, we’ll be exploring the character of  persuasion in environmental themes. Every member of the class will write every week, and we will all read what everyone writes every week. It makes no difference whether you’re a would-be journalist, scientist, environmental advocate or policy-maker. The goal is to rework your writing and sharpen your perceptions, both sensory and intellectual.

: Verlyn Klinkenborg : Verlyn Klinkenborg

754 Geospatial Software Design :

This course introduces computer programming tools and techniques for the development and customization of geospatial data-processing capabilities. It relies heavily on use of the Python programming language in conjunction with ESRI’s ArcGIS and on JavaScript in conjunction with Google’s Earth Engine geographic information systems (GIS). Prerequisite: previous experience in GIS. Three hours lecture, problem sets.

: Charles Dana Tomlin : Charles Dana Tomlin

757 Data Exploration and Analysis :

Prerequisite: a 100-level Statistics course or equivalent, or with permission of instructor.

: TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty

769 Seminar on Public Lands and Policy in the American West : Nearly 30 percent of land in the United States is owned and managed by the federal government, almost all of which is in the western U.S. (i.e. 85% of Nevada is federally owned, compared to  0.03% of Iowa and Connecticut). Thus, the problems, policies, and management issues facing western lands are remarkably different than other in regions, especially in light of the west's unique ecological, social, and political landscapes. This seminar takes up these issues—focusing on the nuts and bolts of public land policy and management—using a variety of historical and contemporary case studies : Justin Farrell : Justin Farrell

777 Water Quality Control :

Study of the preparation of water for domestic and other uses and treatment of wastewater for recycling or discharge to the environment. Topics include processes for removal of organics and inorganics, regulation of dissolved oxygen, and techniques such as ion exchange, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, activated carbon adsorption, and biological methods.

: Jaehong Kim : Jaehong Kim

782 Globalization Space: International Infrastructure and Extrastatecraft : The course researches global infrastructure space as a medium of polity. It considers networks of trade, energy, communication, transportation, spatial products, finance, management, and labor as well as new strains of political opportunity that reside within their spatial disposition. Case studies include free zones and automated ports around the world, satellite urbanism in South Asia, high-speed rail in Japan and the Middle East, agripoles in Southern Spain, fiber optic submarine cable and mobile telephony in East Africa, spatial products of tourism in the DPRK, and the standards and management platforms of ISO.. : Keller Easterling : Keller Easterling

783 Rural Field Course in Cultural Diversity and Environmental Politics : This course provides students with the opportunity to engage environmental politics and social change through experiential field-based learning and immersive research. Using a case-study approach, the course emphasizes active learning and independent research about broad theoretical issues pertaining to culture, politics, values, social movements, and institutional structures. The central component of the course is a major field trip to Western Wyoming, which is an especially salient context for examining these theoretical issues through the lens of water scarcity, population growth, income inequality, energy development, local knowledge, and indigenous perspectives. The course meets throughout the term for instruction and discussion in preparation for the spring break trip, and it concludes with sessions where students present their research. Due to high demand, the course requires a short application. : : Justin Farrell

789E Journey of the Universe (Dates TBD) : This six-week hybrid course draws on the resources created in the Journey of the Universeproject—a film, a book, and a series of twenty interviews with scientists and environmentalists. Journey of the Universeweaves together the discoveries of evolutionary science with cosmological understandings found in the religious traditions of the world. The authors explore cosmic evolution as a creative process based on connection, interdependence, and emergence. The Journeyproject also presents an opportunity to investigate the daunting ecological and social challenges of our times. This course examines a range of dynamic interactions and interdependencies in the emergence of galaxies, Earth, life, and human communities. It brings the sciences and humanities into dialogue to explore the ways in which we understand evolutionary processes and the implications for humans and our ecological future. This is an online hybrid course; no shopping period. : John Grim : John Grim : Mary Evelyn Tucker

796 Human-Animal Relations: New Anthropological Approaches to the Nonhuman : Advanced seminar on the “post-humanist” turn toward multispecies ethnography. Section I, introduction to the course; and “sacred cows.” Section II, theory and practice of multispecies ethnography; the question of human consciousness; and the tradition of natural history studies. Section III, current work on human-animal relations: wildlife conflict; biopower/biopolitics; hunting and mimesis; colonial/postcolonial politics. Section IV, presentations by the students and teaching fellow. One other class is devoted to student selections of influential current literature; and there are two guest lectures by prominent scholars in the field.  : Michael R. Dove :

799 Sustainable Development Goals and Implementation :  This course has students (working alone or in a small group) design a specific implementation plan for a specific country for a specific item that is part of the Sustainable Development Goals to be adopted by the U.N. in September 2015. Students study the new post-2015 sustainable development goals and their implementation in the real world. The course focuses primarily on understanding and developing the ability to effectively apply a variety of tools and means of implementation, relying primarily on guest lecturers. The aim is for each student or group of students to combine a geographic area/region (for example, a country of key interest), a sustainable development goal, and a tool for implementation to design an effective implementation strategy to present to those at the ministerial and decision-making level. : Gordon T. Geballe : Gordon T. Geballe

805 Seminar on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics :

This seminar is based on outside speakers and internal student/faculty presentations oriented toward original research in the field of environmental and natural resource economics and policy. Presentations are aimed at the doctoral level, but interested master’s students may enroll with permission of the instructors.

: Kenneth Gillingham : Kenneth Gillingham

822 Strategic Communication: Delivering Effective Presentations(see description for section times and dates) : Must get permission from Instructor to enroll in course - Cannot add this course to online worksheet

Enrollment cap of 6 F&ES students per section.
F&ES students are asked to submit a statement of interest to Professor Reich.

2 Sections available in Fall-2 (October 22- December 18 ) 
Section -01: T/Th 10:10-11:30 - Evans Hall
Section -02: T/Th 1:00-2:20 - Evans Hall 

2 Sections available in Spring-2 (March 25 - May 14)
Section 01: T/Th T/Th 10:10-11:30 - Evans Hall
Section -02: T/Th 1:00-2:20 - Evans Hall 

The focus of this course is to increase one's competencies in oral communication and presentation. Developing and executing effective communication strategies is essential in a variety of business settings. Business leaders are often expected to present their message with confidence and clarity to employees, clients, partners, investors and the public. This highly interactive, practical course will help students develop confidence in public speaking through weekly presentations and assignments, lectures and discussions, guest speakers, simulated activities, and filmed feedback. Students will be given the opportunity to present both individually and as part of a team. We will explore the essentials of communication strategy and persuasion: audience analysis, message construction, communicator credibility, and delivery. Students at all levels of mastery of public speaking will benefit from this course.  Enrollment is limited to 36.  Students are required to attend the first class session in order to remain enrolled or to bid for the course.  : Taly Reich : Taly Reich

827 Animal Law (Follows Law School Calendar) :

This course examines the application of the law to nonhuman animals, the rules and regulations that govern their treatment, and the concepts of “animal welfare” and “animal rights.” The course explores the historical and philosophical treatment of animals; discusses how such treatment impacts the way judges, politicians, lawyers, legal scholars, and lay people see, speak about, and use animals; surveys current animal protection laws and regulations, including overlap with such policy issues as food and agriculture, climate change, and biodiversity protection; describes recent political and legal campaigns to reform animal protection laws; examines the concept of “standing” and the problems of litigating on behalf of animals; discusses the current classification of animals as “property” and the impacts of that classification; and debates the merits and limitations of alternative classifications, such as the recognition of “legal rights” for animals. Students write a series of short response papers. An option to produce a longer research paper for Substantial or Supervised Analytic Writing credit is available for Law School students. 

: Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar

836 Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development :

An interdisciplinary examination of agrarian societies, contemporary and historical, Western and non-Western. Major analytical perspectives from anthropology, economics, history, political science, and environmental studies are used to develop a meaning-centered and historically grounded account of the transformation of rural society. Four hours lecture plus discussion sections.

: TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty : Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan

860 Understanding Environmental Campaigns and Policymaking: Strategies and Tactics : : Michael Northrop : Michael Northrop

891 Biology of Insect Disease Vectors :

Insects transmit pathogens that cause many emerging and re-emerging human and agriculture-related diseases. Many of these diseases, which are referred to as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), have a dramatically negative impact on human health in the developing world. Furthermore, they cause indirect devastation by significantly reducing agricultural productivity and nutrient availability, exacerbating poverty and deepening disparities. This course introduces students to the biological interactions that occur between major groups of important disease vectors and the pathogens they transmit. Lectures cover current research trends that relate to the ecology and physiology of insect vectors. Course content focuses on how these aspects of vector biology relate to the development and implementation of innovative and effective disease control strategies. Prerequisites: full year of college/university level biology, or permission of the instructor(s). 

: : Brian Weiss

892 Introduction to Planning and Development :

This course demonstrates the ways in which financial and political feasibility determine the design of buildings and the character of the built environment. Students propose projects and then adjust them to the conflicting interests of the financial institutions, real estate developers, civic organizations, community groups, public officials, and the widest variety of participants in the planning process. Subjects covered include housing, commercial development, zoning, historic preservation, parks and public open space, suburban subdivisions, planned communities, and comprehensive plans.

: Alexander Garvin : Alexander Garvin

896 Public Health Toxicology :

This course is designed to serve as a foundation for understanding environmental toxicology. It includes basic principles of toxicology, mechanisms of toxicity and cellular defense, and the fundamental interactions between chemicals and biological systems. Human exposure to foreign chemicals and their adverse effects are considered, as is the importance of federal and state agencies in protecting public health. Through the use of case studies, the course provides insights into prevention of mortality and morbidity resulting from environmental exposure to toxic substances, the fundamentals of risk assessment and regulatory toxicology, and the causes underlying the variability in susceptibility of people to chemicals.

: Vasilis Vasiliou : Vasilis Vasiliou

897 Environmental and Occupational Exposure Science :

This course examines the fundamental and practical aspects of assessing exposures to environmental agents, broadly defined, in the residential, ambient, and workplace environments. The course provides the knowledge and skills to design and conduct exposure assessments, and has a particular focus on applications to environmental epidemiology and risk assessment. Indirect and direct methods of assessing exposures, such as questionnaires, environmental sampling, biological monitoring, and spatial modeling, are reviewed; and case studies and hands-on projects are presented

: TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty

900 Doctoral Student Seminar and Responsible Conduct of Research :

This course provides the foundation for doctoral study at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. As a major part of the course, students will learn what it means to do scholarly research as well as become adept with philosophy of science and research methodology and proposal writing, as a basis for exploring diverse approaches to formulating and addressing research questions. Students will work with their advisers to put these concepts and principles into practice to develop the basis for their dissertation research (including building bibliography, identifying and crafting research questions, formulating research hypotheses and drafting a research proposal).  Students will further learn about funding opportunities and procedures for submitting grants. The course will also cover professional ethics and responsible conduct of research, including ethical approaches to inquiry and measurement, data acquisition and management, authorship and publication, peer review, conflicts of interest, mentoring, collaborative research, and animal and human subjects research.  Finally, the course will explore ethical ways to advocate for the application of scholarly knowledge in the interest of environmental problem solving.  Weekly assigned readings will support concepts and issues addressed in class. Students will present their embryonic research ideas in class and use feedback from the group to further develop their ideas

: Oswald J. Schmitz : Oswald J. Schmitz

902 Environmental Anthropology Research Lab :

1 credit/credit/fail. A bi-weekly seminar for Dove doctoral advisees and students in the combined F&ES/Anthropology program. It consists of the presentation and discussion of dissertation prospectuses and proposals, dissertation chapters, and related publications; collaborative writing and publishing projects on subjects of common interest; and discussion of such topics as grantsmanship, data analysis, writing and publishing, and the job search. Two-hour seminar

: Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove

905 Doctoral Seminar in Environmental and Energy Economics :

This course is designed to bring doctoral students up to speed on the latest developments in the literature on environmental and energy economics. Key papers are presented, and associated mathematical and empirical methods are covered. Topics to be covered include uncertainty and climate change policy, estimating energy demand, electricity markets, and behavioral economics and the environment. A focus is on identifying areas that deserve future research attention. Open to advanced master’s students with permission of the instructor.

: Kenneth Gillingham : Kenneth Gillingham

910 Survival Skills for Doctoral Students : credit/fail. This course is aimed at preparing advanced doctoral students for successful and rewarding careers in ecology and environmental science. Students learn about academic and non-academic careers from readings of and presentations by scientists in those positions. Students identify important steps toward planning and launching their career paths, and skills for being effective in these positions; and they develop their own career plan, curriculum vitae, teaching and research plans, and critiques of professional web pages. Finally, the course exposes students to resources and opportunities for continuing to apply and polish their skills.  : William Lauenroth : William Lauenroth : Ingrid C. Burke

956 Health Care Environmental Sustainability Program :

If the U.S. health care sector were a nation itself, it would rank thirteenth in the world for greenhouse gas emissions. Health care is an enormous and complex system, in need of environmental health assessment and sustainability science to measure and mitigate pollution and public health damages. Policy and business innovation is also essential to implement pollution preventive efforts while maintaining patient safety and quality care. In this course, interdisciplinary student teams perform applied public health or practice projects related to health care, sustainability science, and public health. Each team works with a clinical (physician or nurse) and/or management mentor from Yale New Haven Hospital or its affiliates, or in collaboration with partners such as the National Health Service Sustainable Development Unit of the United Kingdom. Each group uses the opportunity to apply concepts and competencies learned in the classroom to the field of health care. This course should be of interest to students from the Schools of Public Health, Forestry & Environmental Studies, Management, Medicine, and Nursing. This course is one of the options available to students to fulfill the practice requirement for the M.P.H. degree and the F&ES capstone requirement.

: TBD Faculty :

957 Field Skills in Land Stewardship : See F&ES 954 for description.

Must register for both F&ES 954 & 957 at the same time. : : Mark S. Ashton

959 Clinic in Environmental/Climate Justice, Sustainability, and Public Health : In this course, interdisciplinary student teams carry out applied public health research or practice projects in the areas of environmental/climate justice, climate change, sustainability, and public health. Each team works with a sponsoring organization (e.g., unit within Yale, local health department, state agency, community organization, other nongovernmental organization). The course affords the opportunity to apply concepts and competencies learned in the classroom to these important areas. It should be of interest to students across the University, from the Schools of Public Health and Forestry & Environmental Studies to Yale College juniors and seniors. In addition, it is one of the options available to Public Health students to fulfill the practice requirement for the M.P.H. degree. : TBD Faculty : : Marianne Engelman-Lado

964 Large-Scale Conservation: Integrating Science, Management, and Policy :

Environmental sustainability and human dignity are important societal goals, but figuring out how to achieve them on large scales—geographic, temporal, and in terms of complexity—has proven to be extremely challenging. Abundant trend data show that many species, ecosystems, and other environmental and human systems are being overused, stressed, or degraded, thus undercutting the likelihood that we can reach sustainability and human rights for all. In addition, our institutions for science, management, and policy are not designed to address sustainability challenges on these scales. Over the last few decades numerous management and policy initiatives have been put forward to address large-scale resource use, including single and multiple use, parks and protected areas, ecosystem management, bioregional planning, integrated conservation and development, transboundary approaches, and adaptive governance. This course (a mixed seminar and practicum) explicitly uses an integrative (i.e., via interdisciplinary) framework to examine the conceptual and contextual basis for these efforts; compares and contrasts their scientific, management, and policy components; explores themes of leadership, problem solving, decision making, governance, change, and learning; and surveys cases from three arenas (terrestrial, aquatic, and marine). The course takes a problem-oriented, contextual, and multi-method approach that offers students conceptual, practical, and professional benefits. It includes readings, lectures, discussions, workshops, exercises, oral presentations, guest speakers, individual and small-group assignments, and possibly a field trip and group project. In past years the course took a field trip to the Connecticut River system to evaluate region-wide conservation efforts, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Grand Canyon Ecosystem. It also organized an international workshop focused on the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative, and assisted a major U.S. NGO plan for transboundary projects along the U.S.-Canadian border. Extensive student participation is required throughout. Enrollment limited to eighteen.

: Susan G. Clark : Susan G. Clark

970 Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar) :

Follows Law School Calendar

The Clinic’s mission is to train students in environmental advocacy through skills-based seminars, interdisciplinary project work, and collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other significant environmental organizations. Students are assigned to teams of two-to-four members drawn from both the School of Forestry & Environmental Science and Yale Law School. Teams work on a project developed in collaboration with client organizations, with most projects having both legal and policy components. In addition to covering substantive areas of environmental law, Clinic seminars help students master the tools of effective environmental advocacy, including the abilities to research law and science, write and cite persuasively, navigate environmental organizations, and manage projects cooperatively. Enrollment limited to twelve F&ES students.

Course Bidding: Students in the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (and students from any other school besides Yale Law School) must complete the Clinic’s Bidding Form by 4:30 p.m. on June 27th. The Bidding Form is available here.

Note: Attendance at the first-class meeting is mandatory for admitted students and for those on the waiting list who wish to remain in consideration for admission if a place becomes available. Admitted students must confirm their participation in advance of the first class by a date designated by the instructors. A no-drop policy applies.

: TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty : Elizabeth Suatoni : David Hawkins : Conor Dwyer Reynolds

971 Land Use Clinic : This clinic explores a variety of specific community land use topics of current concern and relevance to the field, to the curriculum, and to society. Potential project topics include renewable energy, natural resources, rural-based land uses, agriculture, and sustainable urban planning. Students work with the instructor to develop papers, research memorandums, presentations, and publications on a selected topic. The instructor or guest speakers lecture on specific topics related to student projects. Additionally, students attend field trips relevant to the curriculum and may participate in project meetings with clients. Students select from a project list or meet with the instructor to design a relevant project.  : Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher

972 Advanced Environmental Protection Clinic (Follows Law School Calendar) : Follows Law School Calendar

The Clinic’s mission is to train students in environmental advocacy through skills-based seminars, interdisciplinary project work, and collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other significant environmental organizations. Students are assigned to teams of two-to-four members drawn from both the School of Forestry & Environmental Science and Yale Law School. Teams work on a project developed in collaboration with client organizations, with most projects having both legal and policy components. In addition to covering substantive areas of environmental law, Clinic seminars help students master the tools of effective environmental advocacy, including the abilities to research law and science, write and cite persuasively, navigate environmental organizations, and manage projects cooperatively. Enrollment limited to twelve F&ES students.

Course Bidding: Students in the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (and students from any other school besides Yale Law School) must complete the Clinic’s Bidding Form by 4:30 p.m. on June 27th. The Bidding Form is available here.

Note: Attendance at the first-class meeting is mandatory for admitted students and for those on the waiting list who wish to remain in consideration for admission if a place becomes available. Admitted students must confirm their participation in advance of the first class by a date designated by the instructors. A no-drop policy applies. : Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar : Elizabeth Suatoni : Conor Dwyer Reynolds

973 Industrial Ecology Capstone : The industrial ecology specialization examines the relationships among production, consumption, sustainability, design, and industrial ecology in diverse settings, from products to firms to cities to international trade flows. This capstone course assigns student teams to work with sponsor companies to apply quantitative methods to practical problems facing the organization. In addition, students working independently join the class to learn more about project preparation and to share insights with other students interested in industrial ecology insights and applications. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty

975 Environmental Justice Capstone: Interdisciplinary Research and Practice at the Intersection of Civil Rights & the Environment (application process) : Students in the spring 2019 Environmental Justice Capstone (subtitled Interdisciplinary Research and Practice at the Intersection of Civil Rights & the Environment) will have the opportunity to work in partnership with communities of color and low-income communities on projects to address racial disparities and improve environmental quality and public health in environmentally overburdened communities.  Students will work in small teams taking on projects to address inequality and race discrimination in the distribution of health hazards as well as procedural inequities experienced by communities as they try to assert their own vision for the future of their neighborhoods, towns and cities. 
Students this past semester worked on projects that included:
-Drafting federal legislation in consultation with community and advocacy groups across the country that would place a moratorium on concentrated animal feeding operations and enact other measures to limit their impacts;
-Research and drafting public comments to be filed on behalf of environmental justice organizations regarding recently proposed changes to NEPA; 
-Research and analysis of the impacts of a landfill in a historically black community in Alabama  analyzing landfill permit variances and assessing the relationship between race and landfill locations in Alabama. 
 
These projects will continue and in the coming semester, students will also have the opportunity to analyze the impact of Connecticut’s ten-year old environmental justice law and work with community groups in Beaumont, Texas and Uniontown, Alabama on the documentation of the impacts of polluting facilities such as refineries and landfills.
 
The semester will begin with a “bootcamp” intended to provide an orientation on key substantive information and the work of the Capstone.  Students will then participate in a weekly seminar intended to explore issues raised by the application of knowledge, skills, and approaches to the environmental justice context, including both substantive issues of environmental and civil rights law and policy, as well as questions related to practice, including ethical and social dimensions of providing technical assistance in this context.  In addition to class meetings and preparation, Capstone participants must complete project work.  Students will also be expected to participate in two weekly one-half-hour team meetings. While there is no prerequisite for the Capstone, participants should have a strong interest in working on behalf of environmentally overburdened communities — often communities of color and low-income communities.
 
To apply, please send Marianne Engelman Lado a c.v. and short statement of your interest (under a page please) at Marianne.engelman-lado@yale.edu by December 1.  Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.  Second year students will be given priority, but first year students are encouraged to apply. Enrollment limited to sixteen. : Marianne Engelman-Lado : Marianne Engelman-Lado

980 Social Justice in the Global Food System Capstone : This course explores social justice dimensions of today’s globalized food system, considering justice in terms of sociopolitical and environmental dynamics. We connect theory and practice through work with community-based organizations working at the nexus of food, agriculture, and social justice.
 
The capstone project work is grounded in food and social justice concepts examined through course materials and seminar discussions: We examine how governmental environmental strategies affect social equity in the food system at multiple scales. We discuss how land grabbing or food insecurity are connected to relative power on the global stage. We consider how phenomena such as structural violence and neoliberalization surface within the food system, and what this means for sustainability and justice – in urban and rural settings. We examine and debate concepts and practices including food sovereignty, agroecology, Black agrarianism, and The Right to Food used to advance positive change.
 
Through the capstone project, students will have the opportunity to deepen learning and contribute to the work of community groups forging pathways for equity and justice in the food system, particularly among communities historically marginalized from mainstream economies and policy making. Project work will include meetings with organizational leaders to understand context and co-develop appropriate project approaches. Students will work in groups to conduct in-depth research, analysis, and engage in additional professional and educational activities connected to the project. Student groups will prepare a final presentation and report to be shared with the partner organizations.
 
The course provides opportunities to develop competencies inanalyzing global food systems phenomena through social justice frameworks; and working within diverse settings on food and social justice issues, as practice for management, policymaking, other professional roles.
  : Kristin Reynolds :

983 Water Resource Science & Management Capstone : This course is designed as the preferred option to fulfill the requirement of a capstone course within the M.E.M. specialization in Water Resource Science and Management. Students work under the instructor’s direction, with advice from other water faculty, to develop management plans or other guidance documents supported by new or existing applied research. Students are trained in research methods so that they have useful background knowledge that will be essential in their future management careers. Topics emphasize real-world, interdisciplinary problems with possible immediate application. : Gaboury Benoit : Gaboury Benoit

985 Capstone: Urban, Suburban, and Regional Planning Practice : Building from the topics covered in FES 817a, this capstone course provides the opportunity for students to apply the theory of practice developed during that course to a real world, local project for a public or civic sector client as part of an inter-disciplinary student team. Up to two teams of between four and five students each will work together focusing on a critical neighborhood of New Haven or a nearby municipality. The emphasis in each location will be identifying and overcoming the tensions and conflicts between economic, social, and environmental objectives to develop a balanced strategy for the neighborhood that meets stakeholders goals within the context of overarching regional, national, and even global challenges and opportunities (e.g. climate change and demographic shifts). Towards that end, students will be exposed to the detailed process of local government and decision-making as well as techniques use by city planners to collect and assess data and utilize that information coupled with stakeholder engagement to develop tools to help the community achieve their vision. With a focus on inter-disciplinary problem solving and the collective project management resulting in a client-driven work product, students will learn valuable skills for their future careers. : David Kooris : David Kooris