This Week: 

Thursday, February 28: Dr Lindsay M. Dreiss, GIS Teaching Fellow at Middlebury College
"Investigating Forest Community Ecology in a Changing World: Field Observations, Models and Undergraduate Research"

Tuesday, February 26: Dr. Logan Brenner, Science Fellow and Lecturer in Discipline, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
"The Coral Geochemistry Time Machine: Exploring Panama's Hydroclimate"

Prospective Majors Meeting: Wednesday, March 6

Prospective majors in Environmental Science, Environment & Sustainability, and Environmental Biology came by and learned about requirements, course planning and offerings, and opportunities. They had a chance to talk to other prospective majors as well as current majors and chat over a dinner of roti roll--cleaning the platters!  Students can find information on our Majors and links to Requirements and Planning listed under Majors as well as Recommendations for First Years and Credit and Placement.  Son't forget the Program Planning Meeting on April 11!

Lamont & Earth Summer Intern Programs: 
Deadlines: February 18th

• Lamont Summer Intern Program Description (a Nation-wide program for US Citizens only) the Projects Lists and their Descriptions for greater detail.
• Earth Summer Intern Program Description (open to Columbia and Barnard students), the Projects List, and their Descriptions for greater detail.

TUESDAY, February 5: Lamont and Summer Intern Info Session
Barnard and Columbia students interested in applying to or learning more about an Earth Institute Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) or Lamont Summer Research Internship, and met with Dallas Abbott, who runs the two programs from the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Campus, May 28-August 3.  Dallas went over the project descriptions and gave tips on putting together a successful application, answering questions about particular projects and researchers.  Make an appointment to meet with Brian or your adviser if you need support or want to know more.

February 1: Spring Lab Safety Training, 1-3 pm, 504 Diana Center

Students enrolled in lab courses or who would like to do research or work in a lab this spring or in some time in the near future, are required to complete a student lab safety training.  The next training will be in June.

Friday February 1 is the Program Filing Deadline.

We hope you had a restful and rejuvinating break and made an appointment asap to see your adviser and are ready to go. Contact your adviser right away if you have any difficulties.

Energy Resources, Thursday, December 6, 8:40-9:55 am, 530 Altschul Hall

Students enrolled in EESC BC3019, Energy Resources presented their policy reports on December 4 and 6. The event was open to students and staff.  Thursday presentations included:  Happy, Not Happy - Emma Palmer, Zoe Hockenberry; 100% Renewable Power at Barnard - Grace Palmer, Ella Boege, Mairead Mila, Mia Sinha; and  No More Standing - Kiran Singh-Smith, Meredith Harris, Oesa Vinesett.

Energy Resources, EESC BC3019 is an Environmental Science elective class taught by Peter Bower which utilizes the physical plant of Barnard and Columbia to involve students in a semester long real-life policy study that explores the interconnections between energy resources and sustainable energy efficiency. Students work collaboratively as a team and interface with college faculty, administration, staff and student organizations to produce and disseminate a professional level policy report describing existing usage of energy, analyzing where change is needed.

Workshop in Sustainable Development Final Briefings, Thursday, December 6, 10:10-11:30 am, 119 Milstein

Barnard students enrolled in EESC BC3300, Workshop in Sustainable Development presented the final briefings of their client-based workshop class to students, staff, and clients.  The following two projects were  featured: 1) Stream revitalization and protection in NYC for client, NYC Parks Department, and 2) Teaching hydrology with interactive sandtanks in K-12 education for client, Math for America. 

EESC BC3300 is a class which is open for cross-discipline majors and required for Environment and Sustainability Majors.  In the class, students address real-world issues in sustainable development by working in groups for an external client agency. The course, taught by Martin Stute and Christian Braneon, develops student's skills in areas of communication, collaboration, and management.  Meetings with and presentations to clients and academic community are intrinsic to the course.

Summer Research Institute (SRI) Open House, Friday, December 7, 12-1pm, James Room, 4th floor Barnard Hall

All Barnard students in the sciences should attend the upcoming SRI Open House on December 2 to learn more about SRI, a 10-week program enabling Barnard students to conduct scientific research in New York during the summer--at Barnard or elsewhere. The SRI research experience will be supplemented with academic and skill-building experiences, lectures, social events and closes with a poster session. This is a terrific way to receive funding and housing to do research, especially for those Juniors beginning thesis research.  There will be lunch and lots of good info.  Mark your calendars!

Junior Research Meeting on November 29 was packed with information!

Many Juniors, some Sophomores and a First-Year attended this meeting about planning and applying for research internships opportunities and preparation for senior research.  Martin Stute discussed how to go about finding a project and a mentor, what guidance we offer to students.  He also went over Summer Research programming, REU’s (Research Experiences for Undergraduates—funded through NSF—National Science Foundation),  the application process, goals for a solid research internship, and the place an internship holds in the Senior Research Thesis requirement. If you were unable to make the meeting, please be sure you have touched base with either Martin or Brian about your plans or make an appointment to see Martin to get the info you missed.  And don't forget the SRI Open House on December 7!

 Columbia Masters in Public Health Luncheon with Professor Joseph Graziano:

Professor Joseph Grazziano, Environmental Health Sciences and Pharmacology at Columbia's School of Public Health,  returned to campus to speak with students about the Masters in Public Health at Columbia on October 18.  Those who attended got a great sense of this terrific program in our midst.

In our annual overnight retreat to Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, on September 29 and 30th, majors, FY and Sophomores interested in the field, and departmental faculty and staff spent a day at Storm King Art Center for a special exhibit "Indicators: Artists on Climate Change." We had a number of other events planned including a carnivore/vegan-friendly BBQ, some owling by the reservoire and a 3 levels of great hikes in the forest.  Join us again next year!


Students who studied abroad shared their experiences at our Study Abroad Luncheon on September 25th.  As always, it was a really fun and informative event.  Thank you to Blanca, Gemma, Marion, Maddie, Celeste, and Emma P. for your wonderful presentations on your journeys by sea and land from the Bolivia to New Zealand! Seniors and a Junior shared their images, successes, challenges and explorations with other majors, Sophomores and First Years!