China and the Environment: A Multidisciplinary Learning Community

This special grant-funded two-semester undergraduate research seminar is offered during the 2008-2009 academic year. The seminar focuses on the local and global context of environmental change in China. Five to seven undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines (e.g., sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences) will come together to explore environmental change in China. Students accepted for the seminar will receive six credit hours for the year-long course. A $500 Berry Family Asian Studies Scholarship will be awarded to each student accepted.

Requirements

Fall semester: meeting once a week, students will focus on exploring multi-disciplinary ways of studying human-environmental interactions in China. Class meetings will consist of discussions with faculty and graduate student experts from different disciplines.

Spring semester: Students will develop individual research projects in consultation with instructor. As final requirement, students will collectively draft an “impact statement” on a particular environmental issue in China by synthesizing individual disciplinary approaches and expertise.

Interested students should contact David Pietz, WSU Asia Program, 509-335-3267 or pietz@wsu.edu.