Environmental scientists must be able to synthesize diverse information about the biological, chemical, and physical attributes of perturbed ecosystems. We propose to train students broadly in the environmental sciences to produce professionals with the breadth of knowledge needed to address serious and complex environmental problems. A single-discipline approach is inadequate to identify, solve, and avoid environmental degradation. Yet, graduate programs have been slow to move beyond the traditional boundaries of colleges and departments to develop rigorous and comprehensive degree programs that integrate disciplines. Our proposed training program in environmental science will foster integration of students, faculty, curricula, facilities, and knowledge from two major disciplines: Ecology and Environmental Engineering. Our training program will encourage the development of integrated research efforts needed to address real-world situations of environmental perturbation and mitigations. We will accomplish this with a combination of: (1) traditional coursework in three primary research areas (Environmental Chemistry, Organismal Biology, and Aquatic Ecology), (2) innovative field training modules covering six critical subdisciplines in environmental science, (3) in-depth instructional training for the students, and (4) active recruitment of minority students for the program. We view a training grant from NSF as a major step in coordinating the active graduate programs in environmental science and engineering at the University of Notre Dame.
