Tutition based course offered for six weeks during summer months (1 credit). This off-campus selective, held in Florida and Kenya, offers students a chance to study the broad range of issues that affect wildlife and ecosystem health, both terrestrial and aquatic, in industrialized and developing country contexts.

This selective provides six weeks of intensive lecture, laboratory and field experience while highlighting the transdisciplinary, cooperative nature of work required for effective wildlife and ecosystem research, management and long-term problem solving.

Envirovet faculty are recognized leaders in their fields and opportunities exist for students to explore various career options. Topics include global environmental threats, ecological health, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, emerging disease and the challenges inherent in meeting the needs of stakeholders in varying locations with different political and economic motivations.

Throughout the program, students will learn how to employ new tools from information technologies, health sciences, landscape analysis, ecological risk reduction, ecosystem economics and methods for consensus building. These tools should help enable students to identify, prioritize and solve environmental problems and conduct effective environmental action planning, implementation and research.

Offered Summer 2012 Only.

Lead (Pb) is cheap and there is a long tradition of its use in almost all facets of society. But the toxic effects have been recognized for many years. As a result, society has greatly reduced some uses of Pb, including some paints, gasoline and solders because of threats to animals, people and the environment. Despite this, a wide variety of Pb products are currently available and many animals and people suffer from their toxic effects.

In this self-directed selective, students will review the current state of knowledge on the toxicity of lead and its behavior in the environment. Each student will undertake a project designed either to compile and analyze information about lead, or to develop educational materials aimed at different stakeholders and/or interest groups. It is anticipated that there will be opportunities for interested students to gain experience in writing for publication and public speaking.

Students considering this selective are advised to talk to Dr. Pokras in advance.

Offerec Summer 2012 Only