Welcome from the Chair

Welcome to UCSB and welcome to the Environmental Studies Program. We are delighted that you are interested in or have already chosen to join our academic community. The Environmental Studies Program at UCSB is one of the oldest and most respected in the nation. We are dedicated to interdisciplinary education and scholarship.

Environmental problems invariably involve elements that come from both the natural and human systems. We can only solve these problems by merging the expertise of people who study people (humanists and social scientists) with that of people who study natural systems (biological and physical scientists). To accomplish this goal, the Program integrates the skills and knowledge of people in such diverse areas as physics, earth science, ecology, law, anthropology, and philosophy. Our goal is to provide students with scholarly training and critical analysis skills in a range of disciplines, and in their integration, to understand and deal with the complex environmental problems of our modern world.

One special quality of the Environmental Studies Program at UCSB is its commitment to environmental action. We share a belief that environmental protection is fully compatible with a healthy and vital economy: in fact economic and environmental well being often go hand in hand. We have an exceptional internship program which provides students with opportunities to acquire practical experience by working with environmental agencies and organizations off-campus. A third wonderful aspect of the Environmental Studies Program is the friendliness and enthusiasm of the students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, don't hesitate to ask. Good Luck. And remember to recycle.

Dr. Josh Schimel, Chair
Environmental Studies Program

Ps To learn more about how you can help support the ES Program, please visit our "Giving to ES" webpage.