Science, Technology, and Environmental Studies

Administration
Stuart Glennan, PhD, Program Director

Assistant ProfessorsJesse Van Gerven, PhD

Program Website
www.butler.edu/arts-sciences/science-technology-environmental/

The Science, Technology, and Environmental Studies Program supports two majors: BA or BS in Science, Technology, and Society and BA or BS in Environmental Studies. The program is dedicated to providing students with an interdisciplinary perspective regarding the complex relationships among science and technology and our health, our families and communities, and our environment. Students are challenged to explore the sociocultural, economic, and political dimensions of practices of scientific research and technological development, to learn how our understanding of these practices and their products are shaped by language and communication, and to contemplate the philosophical questions raised by this enlarged perspective on the natural world, our place in it, and our obligations toward it.

The science, technology, and society major prepares students for a number of career paths in health, education, law, public policy, communications, and other fields. The environmental studies major prepares students for careers related to the exploration, management, preservation, and conservation of the natural environment. Both majors integrate the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science), humanities (history, philosophy, and English), and social sciences (anthropology, political science, sociology, and psychology). Service learning and hands-on community service are strongly emphasized to afford students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-world problems and connect with community partners and potential employers.

Science, Technology, and Environmental Studies Student Learning Outcomes

Students majoring in science, technology, and society will:

Analyze and investigate the interactions among science and technology and social forces (e.g., economics, culture, religion, and politics)
Analyze and explain how science and technology influence and are influenced by language, communication, and practices of public translation and transmission
Describe and assess the philosophical, scientific, and moral standards that should guide the conduct of scientific research and technological development
Research, write, and speak from an interdisciplinary perspective about issues concerning science and technology as they relate to society

Students majoring in environmental studies will:

Analyze and investigate the scientific basis of environmental issues facing both human societies and the rest of the living world in modern times
Analyze and investigate challenges to solving environmental issues that stem from practical considerations tied to the political, economic, social, and ethical perspectives on the environment
Research and communicate (in writing, orally, and symbolically) information from an interdisciplinary perspective pertaining to the environment

Degree Programs

Major in Science, Technology, and Society (BA, BS)
Major in Environmental Studies (BA, BS)
Minor in Science, Technology, and Society
Minor in Environmental Studies

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

Environmental Studies