Mission

The mission of the Department is to be a regional partner and national leader in environmental science and management, research and education; providing information and training to both students and professionals in the environmental sciences.

Introduction to the Department

The number of local, national and international issues addressed by programs of the Department of Environmental Sciences have proliferated.  Climate change, its causes and impacts are one of the most visible issues of the decade and the Department has just added Dr. Andrew Bunn, an expert in this arena. Pharmaceuticals used in agriculture and human health have been found in water supplies and environmental samples worldwide yet there are few data on their effects.  Metals from mining and waste sites are persistent issues in the western United States and in developing economies. The conservation of marine and freshwater environmental services such as fisheries and water supplies are continuing subjects of debate. Terrestrial ecological services such as forestry, agriculture and the persistence of endangered species are the subject of management debates throughout the region.  Risk assessment as a management tool has now spread from dealing with contaminants to use in forests, aquatic systems and urban areas.  Our goal is to train the future leaders in each of these areas.

Chair

Leo R. Bodensteiner

Contact Information

Department of Environmental Sciences
Huxley College of the Environment, MS 9181,
Western Washington University,
Bellingham, WA 98225-9181

Phone: 360-650-2844