vcu logoENVS 603: ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS

The skeptical environmentalist measures the Anthropocene

 

Instructor: James Vonesh

Contact: jrvonesh@vcu.edu

 

Course Description:

Environmental issues are often hotly debated. In some cases, stakeholders with different goals use data to argue their positions. Environmental professionals must be able to use their own quantitative skills to look at the data that underlie such discussions and make their own call. In this course, we will visit some fundamental issues in environmental studies, the debate surrounding them, and then reanalyze the data to gain a deeper understanding of the issues.

Course goals:

  • Gain fluency with broad issues in environmental studies
  • Strengthen quantitative skillset via fact-checking the data underlying key issues in the field
  • Strengthen communication skills through the development of data-focused teaching modules