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Environmental Biology B.S
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Program:
Environmental Biology or Ecology is the scientific study of organisms
and their environment. It involves examining the distribution
and abundance of organisms, how they interact with
each other and with their environment, and how energy
and materials are used by natural communities. Environmental
biologists are usually persons who are curious about
how nature works, enjoy solving problems, and are
deeply committed both to solving pressing environmental
problems and helping society. Most environmental biologists
enjoy the outdoors, and conduct research both outdoors
and in the laboratory as they attempt to answer questions
concerning how nature works. Many environmental biologists
teach at universities, colleges and in high schools,
museums, and nature centers. Others use ecological
knowledge to solve environmental problems and to manage
natural resources. Still others work as advisors concerning
environmental issues to elected officials, politicians,
and other policy makers.
Our curriculum in Environmental Biology is designed to
be rigorous and challenging and to provide both depth
of knowledge in environmental biology as well a solid,
broad background in the breadth of biology. Our philosophy
is that our students should first be a biologists
and then specialists within biological science. Because
biology is a science that is built on our understanding
of the physical world as revealed by the physical
sciences, this program like our Biology programs requires
extensive coursework in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics.
Often environmental biologists must be concerned with ethical
and societal issues as well as more purely scientific
considerations. Thus, this program combine rigorous
training in science with a strong background in the
liberal arts. Our goal is to prepare our ecology students
to meet the challenges of today’s world and
to be ready for the unknown challenges of the future.
Thus we strongly believe that the best training for
the future is to become a lifelong learner. The Biology
faculty at Millersville is a group of such learners
who attempt to teach students how to become critical
thinkers. We help our students learn to write and
speak well and to become proficient in analyzing and
solving problems as well as develop the technical
expertise they need to become sources of knowledge
and skill wanted by employers and society. We attempt
to help our students develop their intellectual skills
to their full potential.
We strongly believe that scientific research is an extremely
valuable experience for students. Therefore,
the members of the Biology Faculty maintains active
research programs specifically geared to the participation
and training of undergraduates. Not only do these
activities provide useful training and experience
for our students, but they help keep the faculty abreast
of and participating in the advancement of biological
knowledge, and ultimately these research and other
scholarly activities aid us becoming better teachers.
One
strength of our Environmental Biology program is in
the balance between with solid, basic, “hard
science” and work on “real” environmental
issues. We provide opportunities to do coops and independent
research. In recent years MU environmental biology
majors have completed a wide variety of coop placements,
including those at the Wetlands Institute, ZooAmerica,
Lancaster Labs, the National Aquarium at Baltimore,
several Pennsylvania government agencies, the Florida
State Parks, Sea World and others. The fact that these
organizations continue to actively request more of
our majors testifies to the quality of our students.
Our students also engage in collaborative research
with scientists at Stroud Water Research Center, the
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and other institutions.
Millersville
University Center for Environmental Sciences:
Our environmental biology students benefit greatly
from a campus with rich resources and expertise in
a wide range of environmental subspecialities. Rigorous
programs and outstanding faculties in meteorology,
geology, chemistry, oceanography, and geography enhance
the strength of our program in environmental biology.
The Millersville University Center for Environmental Sciences (MUCES) serves as an organizational framework for all
these programs and involves faculty, students and
off-campus organizations in partnerships dedicated
to research and education on matters relating to the
understanding, management, and protection of the natural
resources of the lower Susquehanna region. MUCES provides
a forum for scientists, planners, developers, agriculturalists,
educators, manufacturers, government agencies, and
community leaders to foster a broad-based information
exchange in support of the continuing work of environmental
stewardship. The Center promotes research, collaborations,
and novel approaches to regional environmental problems
in the four major areas of air quality, land use,
water resources, and biological resources. The MUCES also administers five interdisciplinary environmental minors in environmental science. More information is availavle at the CES web site.
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