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| hope college > academic departments > ges |
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Department OverviewThe GES Department offers a major or minor in Geology, and a minor in Environmental Science. Environmental Science Minor
The "typical" environmental scientist is a specialist in one of the traditional disciplines such as biology, chemistry, geology, physics, or engineering. However, he or she generally has a broad scientific understanding of environmental change that goes beyond the confines of his or her discipline. It also includes an understanding of how environmental issues affect and are affected by politics and economics. The environmental scientist will often work in a team with professionals from other backgrounds to study and solve environmental problems. At Hope College we offer an environmental science minor that helps students acquire the background they need to be successful environmental scientists. Our program is based on the premise that this background should meet the following goals.
Geology Majors and Minors Because of shortages of natural resources, continuing environmental problems, and a renaissance in thinking about the way the Earth works, the geological sciences are in a "Golden Age." Today geoscientists are making important contributions to human knowledge in environmental geology, oceanography, planetology, geochemistry, geophysics, plate tectonics, and paleontology. At Hope College student-faculty research comprises an important part of the geology program. In recent years, students and faculty have been engaged in research projects such as:
We are well-equipped for teaching and research. In addition to many student and research petrographic microscopes, the department has a heating and cooling stage, geographic information systems computer laboratory, X-ray diffractometer, thin section preparation laboratory, ion chromatograph, gas chromatograph, infrared Fourier transform spectrometer, and UV-Visible light spectrometer. Because the study of the Earth is eclectic, geologists must be competent in the other natural sciences and in mathematics. Accordingly, we encourage strong minors in other sciences and composite majors with chemistry and physics. The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences has an established
reputation of excellence. Many graduating seniors have gone directly to work in environmental consulting firms and oil companies while others have been accepted into some of the most prestigous graduate programs in the country, including the California Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. |
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