Bluffton University introduces new Environmental Science major
Students can begin enrolling in the major in the Fall 2024 semester. Two new courses were developed to support the major.
Bluffton University has announced a new major, Environmental Science, that will be available to students beginning in the Fall 2024 semester. In addition, two new courses, Geology and Soils and Hydrology, were developed for the major, and will be available to students university-wide as a means to fulfill science credits.
According to an article on Bluffton University's website, Claire Clay, the director of public relations and enrollment operations at Bluffton University, was quoted as explaining why this new major is becoming available at the perfect time, saying, “Bluffton University is perfectly positioned to offer this new major to current and incoming students. With our new Austin E. Knowlton Science Center opening this past fall and the 160-acre Nature Preserve and Moyer Nature Center on campus, students have the scientific world at their fingertips.”
The Environmental Science major will be part of the Department of Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics. The major gives students the opportunity to study geology, climate sciences, soil, and water. Students will gain the understanding necessary to look critically at environmental issues that are impacting the natural world around us. The Bluffton University Nature Preserve will be a work and study site for students in the Environmental Science major, and they will even be involved in the management and operations of the nature preserve.
The M’Della Moon Endowment is to thank for making the new major a reality. Anonymous donors gifted $1.5 million through the endowment.
Dr. Jacob Buchanan will take up the role of M’Della Moon Endowed Chair in Botany and Environmental Science and will head the program. He explained the goal of the major, saying, “This major offers a pathway for students to become not just environmental scientists, plant and wildlife biologists, and conservationists, but also concerned citizens of the world who have a clearer understanding of the issues we face and potential solutions to them. Environmental Science fits Bluffton’s values and mission, and we anticipate interested students will find that their passion involves learning about the world around them and collaborating with others to address environmental issues and injustices.”
For more information about Bluffton University, visit the school’s website.