We hope everyone had happy and healthy winter holidays. MSEM started the new year by welcoming prospective students to an online information session and an in-person Open House. It was inspiring to hear each person’s story and experience and interests in environmental management. Our priority application deadline is February 15th, with rolling review thereafter, and we are excited to grow the new cohort!
In mid-January we welcomed current students and faculty to the start of the Spring 2024 semester, with a rich mix of classes suiting several of our concentrations, ranging from Climate Science with Simon Scarpetta, to Wetland Ecology with John Callaway. Some of the other topics covered by this spring’s courses include Environmental Health and Sustainability! Such as Sustainability Leadership with Susan Hopp, Water & Wastewater Treatment with Adam Hess, and Waste Management with our very own MSEM alum and founder of Race to Zero Waste, Teresa Bradley!
There’s something for every concentration and focus this semester, including our Geospatial Analysis Lab (GsAL)! This semester we are offering Remote Sensing with one of our newer professors, Paul Nesbit. Some of our previous students have used remote sensing to assess the effects of environmental disturbances on marine and terrestrial health. We are also excited about our specialized GIS course, GIS & Wildfire Management, starting in the second half of this semester with GsAL director David Saah. This course will guide students through all stages of wildfire management, including preparation, active fire tracking, post-fire recovery, and future forecasting.
Applied research is a feature of the USF MSEM program, where we integrate our studies and contribute analysis and recommendations on pressing environmental issues. First-year students will start preparing for their capstone projects in the Research Methods course, with Adam Hess and Stephanie Siehr. Our second-year students have begun working on their Master’s Projects, which will be presented at the end of the semester on May 16th for students, alumni, faculty, family, and friends. The Spring Master’s Project students are guided by Aviva Rossi (also an MSEM alumna), Simon Scarpetta, and Stephanie Siehr.
MSEM will have many events, opportunities, and updates so be sure to follow our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages. Big thanks to our hardworking MSEM staff, Tiffany Yang and Maggie Morant, for the incredible work they do for the program. Reach out to us any time at msem@usfca.edu, we love to hear how you are caring for the environment and each other.
~ Prof. Stephanie Siehr, MSEM Director
