New School of Marine & Environmental Sciences Hosts Community Event
Posted on June 7, 2021 by Arts and Sciences
The newly-established School of Marine & Environmental Sciences recently hosted a community event at The Hope Farm in Fairhope. Guest speakers included Chris Blankenship, Commissioner, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the State of Alabama, who discussed the upcoming Red Snapper season; Blakeley Ellis, Executive Director, Coastal Conservation Association Alabama; and Dr. Sean Powers, Chair of Marine Sciences and the Stokes Chair of the Center for Environmental Resiliency, USA School of Marine & Environmental Sciences.
The new school in the College of Arts and Sciences establishes South as a leader in State of Alabama conservation efforts and a strong competitor with other universities in the region. Due to the continuous growth of the Department of Marine Science, the College of Arts and Sciences proposed a School of Marine & Environmental Sciences. The proposal was approved by USA administration and the Alabama Commission of Higher Education in March 2021.
The School will be modeled after the successful programs at Duke University and University of California at Santa Barbara. Both programs focus on applied and basic research in marine and environmental studies with programs for students to attain academic and research degrees as well as professional degrees that enable students to enter the job force immediately.
USA will be expanding the undergraduate offerings in marine sciences, with the addition of an undergraduate curriculum in environmental and sustainability sciences and a new professional M.S. degree in marine and coastal spatial planning. The focus of the School will be to create education and research opportunities for research in the coastal and marine environment.
USA marine scientists conduct research from the Arctic to Antarctic and many locations in between. We are a regional leader in ensuring sustainable use of the coastal and marine resources of the Gulf of Mexico.
Traditionally, Schools are nested within Colleges and are used to strengthen interdisciplinary subject matters. Both marine sciences and environmental sciences are highly interdisciplinary and will link chemistry, biology, geology, physics, engineering, sociology and business (among others), with a focus on sustainability.
Creating a School of Marine & Environmental Sciences establishes USA as a leader in the State of Alabama conservation efforts and as a strong competitor with other universities in the region.
With the approved creation of the School of Marine & Environmental Sciences, we will continue to build upon our success in research, increase academic opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and increase the prominence of our efforts through service.
Specifically, School of Marine & Environmental Sciences plans to:
Expand current degrees: M.S. in Environmental Toxicology program, M.S. and Ph.D. programs
in Marine Sciences, M.S. in Marine Conservation and Resource Management
Launch two new B.S. degrees: Environmental & Sustainability Science and Marine Sciences
One new M.S. degree: Marine and Environmental Spatial Planning and Analysis*
*All new programs are subject to approval by the University and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
Learn more about the exciting future of this program including new majors, graduate degrees, and facilities. Multiple investment opportunities available. Visit southalabama.edu/colleges/artsandsci/marinesciences today.