The Environmental Studies program is designed to provide an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to studying the environment. As such, it both complements and embodies the liberal arts aim of combining strengths of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to prepare students to be well-equipped citizens in an increasingly globalized world. Core requirements for Environmental Studies majors are designed to fit requirements for graduate programs in Environmental Studies or related fields while the electives allow students to specialize in their particular interests.
The learning goals of the Environmental Studies program are
- Explain the structure and dynamics of the natural world
- Recognize ways in which human beings are a part of and interact with the natural world
- Describe world views and values that guide humans as they interact with the natural world
- Discuss forms of sustainable community life
- Synthesize methods of inquiry from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities
Alumni Highlights- 2020
Dillon Blankenship ’12 – Environmental Scientist – Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation – Nashville, Tennessee
After Hendrix, I studied beekeeping cultures around the globe with a Watson Fellowship, restored corn fields to native, mixed-grass prairies with The Nature Conservancy, and conducted stream assessments in remote canyons and mountain ranges with the Bureau of Land Management. Next I earned a master’s degree in botany (and a GIS certificate) and a watershed modeling internship with NASA. I now work for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Water Resources as an Environmental Scientist. The EVST major provided me with a broad education – from economics and philosophy to statistics and chemistry – that familiarized me with fundamental concepts from many disciplines. Experiencing these fields through an environmental lens made the subjects applicable to the things I care about and helped me think more critically about the complexity of environmental issues. If you can synthesize the knowledge from your coursework and undertake internships or projects that align with your environmental interests, the EVST major will prepare you for whichever academic or professional endeavors you wish to pursue beyond Hendrix.
Madison Pitts ’15 – Attorney – Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality – Little Rock, Arkansas
The EVST program helped me realize the importance of environmental law in shaping and effectuating environmental policy. Following Hendrix, I attended the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with the goal of becoming an environmental attorney. I was an active member of the Bowen Environmental Law Society and became the president of the organization in my final year of law school. After graduating from law school cum laude, I became a licensed Arkansas attorney. I am now an attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel in the newly created Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. I practice in many areas of environmental law with a focus in air and oil and gas law.
Marley Halter ’16 – Community Garden Manager – Auburn University – Auburn, Alabama
After Hendrix, I went straight to into the graduate program at the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. After graduating with a master’s degree, I moved to Auburn, Alabama, and started my sustainable agriculture career as the manager of the Community Garden at Auburn University. My experience with the Environmental Studies program at Hendrix prepared me especially well for graduate school. It also helped me figure out what I am passionate about and gave me the resources and support I needed to make a career out of those passions!
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