To care for the environment is to care for one another. We are all connected by an extensive network of both natural and human systems. Climate, land use, pollution, ecosystems, renewable energy, aquatic systems—they teach us that to sustain one, we must sustain all.

Why study Environment & Sustainability at Sewanee?

By studying environment and sustainability at Sewanee, you'll be prepared to address complex environmental issues from a variety of perspectives. Your understanding today will prepare you to protect tomorrow.

Because all environmental systems are connected, environmental issues cannot be studied in isolation. Policy, science, and economics are all involved. A focus on place-based study and integration of knowledge across disciplines allows for a creative approach and a healthy appreciation for what’s happening around you. Whether you’re studying headwaters on the Mountain or the health of mammals downstream, it’s important to remember that our actions can be felt for generations to come.

First destinations: Environment & Sustainability Majors

Sewanee graduates secure positions in a variety of fields. Some you would expect, others are a bit of a surprise. Sewanee prepares you for your profession and your passion. Below is a sampling of recent graduates' first jobs.

  • Research analyst, ICF International, Fairfax, Virginia.
  • Field engineer, John Moriarty and Associates, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Reforestation and environmental educator, Peace Corps, Paraguay.
  • Princeton in Asia fellow, World Wildlife Fund, Bangkok, Thailand.
GRADUATE SCHOOL & PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS: ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY MAJORS

Sewanee graduates enjoy extraordinary acceptance rates to top graduate and pre-professional programs–about 95 percent to law school and over 85 percent to medical school. Below is a sampling of where Sewanee grads continue their education.

  • M.A. in earth & energy resources, University of Texas, Austin.
  • J.D., Tulane University Law School.
  • M.Sc. in ecological economics, University of Edinburgh.
  • M.A. in international environmental policy, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

A Sampling of Courses

Environmental Policy and Law
Environmental Studies

This course combines the study of public policy with the study of environmental concerns. Students explore public policy concepts and the instruments used in environmental regulation. Topics include air and water quality issues, hazardous waste and risk management, natural resources and biological diversity. The course also addresses the impact of environmental groups and citizen activism on this highly complex area of public policy.

ENST 334
Archaeological Resource Management and Policy
Archaeology

This course explores international and national approaches to archaeological heritage management, including review of public policies that protect sites and of regulations that guide the process. The course centers around how such policies affect negotiation between the past and present as archaeologists, various governments, descendant communities, and others try to balance preservation concerns with demand for development. Also includes topics such as how diverse cultures view the past, the growing commodification of archaeological sites in the tourist trade, and the antiquities market.

ARCH 332
Environmental Economics
Economics

A study of the causes of and solutions for pollution and environmental degradation weighs the value of ecosystems and their role in sustaining economic activity. This course applies cost/benefit analysis to environmental issues and provides an introduction to the economics of nonrenewable and renewable resources such as mines, forests, and fish.

ECON 335
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Environment & Sustainability

Programs of Study & Related Programs

Requirements for the Major in Environment & Sustainability

Requirements for the Minor in Archaeology | Website

Requirements for the Major in Environmental Arts & Humanities | Website

Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Studies | Website

Requirements for the Major & Minor in Forestry | Website

Requirements for the Major & Minor in Geology | Website

Requirements for the Major in Natural Resources & the Environment | Website

Requirements for the Minor in Religion & Environment | Website

Meet some professors

Russell Fielding
Russell.fielding@sewanee.edu

Russell Fielding completed graduate degrees in geography at the University of Montana (M.A., 2005) and at Louisiana State University (Ph.D., 2010). He studied the literatures of cultural geography, environmental history, anthropology, and human ecology. Working to follow the example of the great Berkeley geographer Carl O. Sauer, he considers himself "an earth scientist with a slant toward biogeography, of which [humans are] a part." He seeks to apply his training toward addressing real human and environmental problems among the cultures and ecosystems of the Caribbean.

Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability
Deborah McGrath
dmcgrath@sewanee.edu

Deborah McGrath earned a B.A. at University of Wisconsin as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Her specialities include ecosystem and plant physiological ecology, biogeochemistry of land use, and environmental health. Dr. McGrath studies pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater and watershed streams, the effects of exurban development on water quality, and the impact of land-use change and plant invasion on ecosystem nutrient dynamics.

Professor of Biology
JoyAnna Hopper
jshopper@sewanee.edu

JoyAnna S. Hopper is an assistant professor in the Department of Politics at Sewanee, where she joined the faculty after receiving a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Missouri in 2016. Dr. Hopper's research and teaching focuses primarily on public policy/administration and American politics, where she specializes in state-level environmental policy and the implications of bureaucratic structure. She teaches courses in American government, public policy and administration, environmental politics, and social policy.

Assistant Professor of Politics
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Contact

Sarah C. Sherwood
Associate Professor and University Archaeologist

sherwood@sewanee.edu

Snowden Hall 220, Ext. 3396

C. Ken Smith
Professor and Assistant Dean of the Environment

ksmith@sewanee.edu

Cleveland Annex 101A, Snowden Hall 209, Ext. 3219

The Domain: An Immersive Experience

Integrated Program in the Environment
6 Majors, 6 Minors, 13,000 Acres

Sewanee's Integrated Program in the Environment is one of the premier collections of environmental offerings in the country. A working farm, a 13,000-acre forest, and well-funded internships offer opportunities to apply your classroom learning. An expansive curriculum—including natural and social sciences as well as the humanities and fine arts—offers students multiple pathways for gaining an understanding of the ecological complexity and wonder of the earth we inhabit.

Explore Your Options
Stewardship & Sustainability
Hands-on Experience

The Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability offers students myriad opportunities to engage with the outdoors. Whether your passions are natural resources management, food production, animal care, field research, or sustainability, there's a place for you to get your hands dirty on the Domain!

Get Involved
The University Farm
Where Growth Happens

The University Farm offers students a transformative experience through the immersive and intimate practice of restorative agriculture. At the farm you'll find many opportunities to enhance your education and connect with the history of agriculture. And if you’re lucky, there will be some baby goats around during finals.

Yes, I love baby goats