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Environmental
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Environmental
Science Home | Curriculum | Facilities |
Faculty Research | Successful
Students | |
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| Coe students have numerous research opportunities
in Environmental Science. Sakinah Haque ('09) records field measurements
near a local stream. |
Coe's environmental science program is designed to prepare students
for successful careers in the field by giving students significant
depth in both chemistry and biology. The challenges of developing
bioremediation techniques for hazardous waste sites, of understanding
the biogeochemistry of nutrient-enriched streams, or of forecasting
the effects of land-use changes on natural systems demand a deep
knowledge of the sciences. Students who undertake the environmental
science program will have opportunities to apply the knowledge
they acquire in the classroom and laboratory to the type of complex
challenges they will face after they leave Coe. Opportunities
for internships with local non-profits and governmental agencies
are numerous due to the faculty members' long-term relationships
with these groups. Student-faculty
research at Coe includes the opportunity to use state-of-the-art
equipment in investigations of issues such as the role of microbes
in uranium remediation, the utility of wetland mitigation, effects
of land use on water quality, and ecological succession using
global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems
(GIS).
Program Highlights
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Coursework that engages students in field study:
- starting the very first year with GPS-mapped field studies
- including detailed analysis of chemicals in the environment in Analytical
Chem Lab
- analysis of the benefits of urban forests in General Botany Lab
- analysis of trends from the Coe Water Quality Network in Linn County,
Faulkes Heritage Woods, and urban deer impacts in Spatial Ecology
- microbial diversity and bioremediation potential of native soils in
Environmental Micro
- Research-rich laboratories are built into every class.
- Capstone course where students form an environmental consulting group.
They write proposals, design projects, and carry out independent research
that answers real-world questions.
- State of the art equipment available for student use includes several
global positioning systems (GPS), a geographic information system (GIS) laboratory
built on ArcMAP, ion chromatography (IC), gas chromatography- mass spectrometry
(GC-MS), and an anaerobic glove box for microbial studies.
- Program faculty have long-term connections with the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources, the University Hygienic Laboratory, Nature Conservancy,
Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa Geological Survey Bureau, Trees Forever,
and the University of Iowa's Environmental Engineering program. As a result,
there are many opportunities for internships in which students may explore
a variety of career options.
- Funding from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the city of Cedar
Rapids Water Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Science
Foundation, and from Coe support summer research fellowhsips for 5-10 students
each year.
- Coe's Wilderness
Field Station, located in Minnesota's Boundary Waters, offers a unique
opportunity to explore a pristine, unfragmented wilderness.
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