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About the Center for the Environment

Mission

The Center for the Environment provides a gateway for the people of New Hampshire to access the resources of PSU in its role as a regional University. The Center serves a diverse research, education, and public engagement role addressing the science, policies, culture and economics of the natural environment in northern New England:

• Applied research: collaborative interdisciplinary projects to promote understanding and stewardship
• Education: advanced undergraduate and graduate education and internships in environmental science
• Public engagement: science translation and educational outreach for New England citizens, government, and businesses. The Center offers laboratory and research services to the public when these services do not compete with the private sector in New Hampshire.

Facilities

The Center's administrative office is in Russell House, between the Boyd Science Center and Lamson Learning Commons. The  Boyd Science Center, a 76,000 sq. ft. facility that was renovated and expanded in 2003, houses the Center's laboratory and teaching facilities along with the Departments of Environmental Science and Policy, Biological Sciences, and Chemical, Earth, Atmospheric, and Physical Sciences. The Learning Commons at Lamson Library is a state-of-the art, integrated research and technology center that provides PSU students, faculty and staff with access to a wide variety of research tools and materials, information technology resources and academic support services. The Center also maintains a research library to facilitate student projects.

• Directions to Campus
  
• Campus Map (PDF)

Environmental Research

The Center focuses on applied field research for the purposes of training tomorrow's environmental professionals. Examples of research projects include impacts of acid rain on New England lakes, effectiveness of the Clean Air Act in reducing pollution, distribution of mercury in the environment, controlling milfoil, trends in loon populations through time, and best management practices to reduce phosphorus loading to rivers and lakes. Also field and analytical methods for environmental monitoring, techniques for implementing effective stewardship, education in the Internet age, environmental economics of protecting lake water quality and protection of drinking water sources.

Graduate Education

Plymouth State University’s College of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy which is administered by the Center for the Environment. The theme of our program is that environmental issues are as much social and economic issues as they are science based. To complement the sciences, student programs typically include courses in GIS, remote sensing, sociology, science education, planning, statistics, journalism, tourism, and business. These course options prepare students to be better communicators of science in future employment, and as well-informed citizens. Our graduate students (and selected honors undergraduates) have the opportunity to solve real-world problems, gaining the skills, experience, and contacts for employment with state and federal agencies, local governments, planning commissions, consulting firms, environmental groups and educational institutions. Off-campus professionals and faculty serve on student thesis committees, enhancing the rich, real-world experience.

Outreach and Partnership

Research dollars are not well spent if the results fail to produce a better informed citizenry, and if decision makers do not receive the information in an easily understood format. Therefore, an essential role of the Center is to translate results for the layperson and management professional via documents, presentations, conferences and hands-on experiences for students and citizens. We want to expose students of all ages to the university environment on an ongoing basis to increase educational aspirations.