ESCI Student Learning Outcomes and Department Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes and Department Evaluation

1. Student Learning Outcomes.

We teach environmental sciences by having the students participate in the process to the point where they can perform research, transmit the results to the scientific community, and participate in the environmental management process. Each objective is presented in more detail below.

Perform Research

Obtaining information that accurately reflects the nature of the environment.

The student will understand the basic philosophies of the scientific method and the culture of the scientific community specific to the areas of emphasis.
The student will be able to read and critique the scientific literature appropriate for their area of emphasis.
The student will become versed with experimental design and laboratory/field research methods in each of the five areas of emphasis and be able to perform each at a professional level.
The student will become versed with data analysis methods and modeling techniques in each of the five areas of emphasis and be able to perform each at a professional level.

Transmission of Scientific Results

Results from modeling, field research, laboratory experiments and other avenues of investigation can not be applied to understanding the environment unless it is presented as a talk or poster at a scientific conference or published as a manuscript. In order to meet this goal the students will have specific skills.

The student will be able to summarize the results of a laboratory, field or model based research, or a summary of current literature in the three dominant methods of scientific communication.
The student will be able to construct and present an oral presentation using current computer based techniques for preparation of graphs, tables and graphics that summarizes the results of a scientific investigation.
The student will be able to construct and present a platform (poster) presentation using current computer based techniques for preparation of graphs, tables and graphics applicable to this format.
The student will be able to prepare a scientific manuscript using a first--person active voice style following the typical manuscript requirements for journals appropriate to the five areas of emphasis. Graphs, tables and other materials will be produced in a manner reflecting the requirements of the type of publication.

Participate in the environmental management process

In the environmental sciences information is generated to inform the management process for environmental systems for all levels of governmental agencies, Non-governmental organizations and industry. Students need to be able to integrate the science into this broader process and need the knowledge and skills to accomplish this task.

The student will become familiar with the appropriate International, Federal, State and Local legislation governing the management of environmental systems and the goals of each.
Students will be knowledgeable of State and other agencies and the missions of each that manages natural resources or environmental services.
Students will acquire the skills necessary to working within interdisciplinary groups including other specialists, managers and representatives of the non-technical public.
Students will become familiar with a number of decision making tools, such as risk analysis, so that they are familiar with the processes.

The success of this approach is in part reflected by the continuing demand for our program and the success of its graduates. However, we take care to track the true measure of success in the sciences, the transmission of research to the scientific community. One of the outstanding aspects of the Department is the publication and presentation record of our undergraduate and graduate students.

2. Assessment information related to expected student learning outcomes and the achievement of the program’s objectives.

The narrative below details the successes of our students, and an updated list of student publications and awards can be found at http://www.wwu.edu/desciences/presentation.shtml.

Papers and presentations from undergraduate and graduate student research.

Since 2003 there have been 13 peer reviewed publications produced with either undergraduates or graduates as the primary or co-author. In addition our students have made 46 presentations during this period to local, national and international scientific meetings. The presentations are either in the form of a poster describing the research and is presented during a poster session. At the poster session meeting attendees can meet with the student and ask specific questions. Many of the presentations are also the traditional platform presentation where a student describes the research and then takes questions from of an audience of scientific colleagues. Our students have been successful in gathering a number of awards during the period from 2002-2008. Please note that these are typically open competitions with students for Tier 1 research institutions competing alongside our students.

Awards

The research presented by our students have been recognized for their quality at a number of venues. The summaries that follow are examples of both graduate and undergraduate research.

One of the most noted awards was to Andrew M. Deines and Valerie C. Chen, along with W. Landis (advisor) for the Best Research Paper for the 2004 national meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis. The paper entitled “Modeling the risks of non-indigenous species introductions using a patch dynamics approach incorporating contaminant effects” was the overall winner for best paper and did not compete in the student category. Mr. Deines is currently in the PH. D. program in Ecology at the University of Notre Dame. Ms. Chen received a MS in Environmental Science in 2007 and is currently working at a consulting firm. The paper appeared in the journal Risk Analysis in 2005.

As a follow up, Amanda Pfingst has won the award for best student paper in ecological risk assessment for the 2005 national meeting for the Society for Risk Analysis. Her paper “Relative Risk Assessment of the Androscoggin River Watershed in Maine and New Hampshire” integrates all of the stressors affecting this famous riverine system. Ms. Pfingst will be graduating with a MS in Environmental Science this winter.

The biannual Puget Sound and Georgia Straits Research Conference is one of the most important meetings on the environmental science of this region. In 2005 our students won first and second place in the Student Poster category for their research on invasive species.

Ananda Seebach, formerly an undergraduate and now a graduate student won for “Regional risk assessment of the Japanese brown alga, Sargassum muticum, in Cherry Point, Washington.

Audrey Colnar, who graduated with a MS degree last winter, was the second place poster for “Regional risk assessment of the European green crab, Carcinus maenas in Cherry Point, Washington.

Daniel Diedrich a current graduate student won the best student presentation at the 2005 Rocky Mountain Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Regional Meeting for his poster: The effects of chronological age on the toxicity of zinc to Brown trout (Salmo trutta).

In the last several years we have also had students participate in the prestigious NSF Research for Undergraduate Program at several universities. Below are the 2003 and 2004 award winners.

Genny Arredondo Summer REU 2003 Mote Marine Lab
Lisa Marko Summer REU 2004 University of Colorado
Laura Sellens Summer REU 2004 University of Kansas NSF LTER Site.

Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program

In addition to our undergraduate and graduate degree program, the Department also supports the National Science Foundation-funded Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program (MIMSUP). This research experience is designed to introduce members of racial or ethnic groups under-represented in science and engineering to academic and professional careers in marine science. Now in its 16th year, the program has benefited enormously from participation by faculty and staff of the Department of Environmental Sciences.

Annually, eight selected students spend two quarters at the Shannon Point Marine Center taking introductory and specialized courses in the marine sciences attending seminars and workshops, exploring career opportunities, and engaging in supervised research. Nearly all of the courses the students complete are sponsored by Environmental Sciences.

Students who participate in MIMSUP are prepared to pursue careers in the sciences. A large percentage have continued in that direction. Of 111 program alumni, 9% have continued to PhD programs, 9% have continued to professional programs and 42% have continued to MS degrees. Over 68% of the program participants are now working fields related to environmental science. The program is increasing the numbers of underrepresented students pursuing careers in this area.

During the period from 2002 to 2005 the MIMSUP students presented 24 Posters in the Sigma Xi Program during Scholars Week at WWU, 25 presentations were made at Scientific conferences and 5 peer reviewed papers from MIMSUP students were published. Lisa Marko is one example of the outstanding students in this program.

As an undergraduate student in Environmental Sciences, Lisa Marko was one of 8 students nationwide chosen to participate in the 2003 Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program. As part of the program, Lisa completed independent research. Her project was titled, “Exploration of a larval growth endpoint for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasi): a 10-day acute bioassay”. Her work on toxicological assays for Pacific Herring produced outstanding results which she presented orally at 4 regional or national science conferences. One of these presentations won a best student paper award.

At the conclusion of her undergraduate program, Lisa gained entrance into the MS program at Washington State University Vancouver where she is pursuing work on coastal estuarine ecology.