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For 25 years Wake Forest students have explored issues of environmental science, policy, sustainability, and more through the Environmental Program. From research stipends through our Environmental Summer Fellows Program to the annual Environment and Sustainability writing workshop – the opportunities for engaged learning are endless.
Environmental Program History
Environmental Studies Minor Created
August 25, 1995
Dr. John Lichter was the first coordinator for the environmental studies minor in 1995 and the catalyst for the founding of the Environmental Program that same year. Litcher joined the faculty in 1973 and taught social studies education, human geography and environmental studies before retiring in 2004. Dr. Robert Browne from the Department of Biology, Dr….
Read moreFirst Immersive Learning Trip to Peru
May 1, 1999
The first immersive learning trip to Peru was in 1999, according to Dr. Miles Silman of the Biology Department. Since then, the types of immersive learning trips to Peru have evolved and changed with research needs and student interest. Most recently, the the trip is offered through a course in “Tropical Ecology and Science Writing” which you…
Read moreDr. Robert Browne Appointed as Program Director
August 25, 1999
Dr. Robert Browne, from the department of Biology, became the ENV Program director in 1999. During his tenure, he coordinated the logistics of setting up the minor without the benefit of a pre-determined framework for the curriculum. In collaboration with the members of the steering committee, Dr. Browne came up with a list of courses that…
Read moreOffice of Sustainability Founded
July 1, 2009
The Office of Sustainability was founded in July 2009 to facilitate the integration of sustainability at all levels of the university, from students to the highest levels of the administration. The Office of Sustainability staff and student colleagues work with local and regional community representatives to develop synergies between Wake Forest’s sustainability programs and those larger communities….
Read moreFirst Immersive Learning Trip to Australia
May 1, 2010
It’s not easy to the Australian reefs, rainforests, grasslands and Outback while you’re on campus in Winston-Salem. Students that travel to Australia to take Ecology and Natural Resource Management in Australia, though, get see all of that, said Dr. Robert Browne, former head of the Environmental Program. He taught the course for nine years. Now it…
Read moreCenter for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES) Founded
August 25, 2010
As the level of interest and work around issues of sustainability grew, more programs and institutions were established. The Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES) is an interdisciplinary center which brings experts together to study the issues of energy, the environment and human systems. “You have this nucleus of faculty who got interested and coalesced…
Read moreFirst Immersive Learning Trip to Belize
May 1, 2012
The first immersive learning trip to Belize took place in 2012. The “Diving Deacons” initiative allows students in the Ecology and Conservation Biology of Coral Reefs course to travel to Belize each spring to study conservation and management plans for the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Doing so involves using SUAS technology to monitor development on the reef…
Read moreDr. Abdou Lachgar Appointed as Program Director
August 25, 2013
In 2013, Dr. Abdou Lachgar was appointed as the interim director of the Environmental Program. In 2014, he became the full director. Dr. Lachgar is a Professor of Chemistry and the Bell Faculty Fellow. His teaching expertise is in the general area of inorganic materials chemistry and nanomaterials. His research projects focus on the development and…
Read moreDr. Eric Stottlemyer Appointed as Program Director
August 25, 2015
Dr. Eric Stottlemyer focuses on curriculum development, new academic initiatives, interdisciplinary programs, and experiential modes of learning as the Associate Dean for the Engaged Liberal Arts. Before this role, he brought those same principles of engaged learning to the Environmental Program during his time as the program’s director. Dr. Stottlemyer facilitated academic coherence for the ENV minors…
Read moreSustainability Graduate Programs Established
August 25, 2015
In 2015, Wake Forest’s Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability partnered with 26 faculty from across campus to establish the Sustainability Graduate Programs. In addition to the Master of Arts in Sustainability (MAS) and a certificate program, Wake Forest offers two additional unique dual degree programs – a JD/MA in Sustainability and a Masters of Divinity/MA in…
Read moreFirst Summer Immersive Learning Trip to Alaska
May 1, 2016
The Alaska course has been led over three summers – 2016, 2017, and 2018 – by Dr. Stottlemyer, in conjunction with Outdoor Pursuits. It involved both an overview of the mechanics of climate change, as well as writing about climate change. The course’s experiential nature came from a wilderness experience. The course starts in Anchorage, but…
Read moreFirst Undergraduate Student Graduates with Interdisciplinary Degree in Sustainability Studies
May 1, 2018
When Sebastian Irby (’18) arrived on campus in 2014, she knew she wanted to study sustainability. At the time the ENV Program hosted two minors – one in environmental science and one in environmental studies – but Irby wanted more. She wanted to graduate with a degree in these areas. In 2018, she became the first undergraduate…
Read moreDr. Luke Johnston Appointed as Program Director
August 25, 2018
The approval of the new majors, Environment and Sustainability Studies and Environmental Science, have been a major highlight of his tenure so far, Johnston said. Johnson noted that several things make Wake Forest’s Environmental Program exceptional. “The things that I think make our program unique are the things that make Wake Forest in general unique,” he…
Read moreMajor in Environment and Sustainability Available to Students
August 25, 2020
Undergraduate students will be able to declare two new majors in Environment and Sustainability beginning fall of 2020 – a Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Sustainability and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science. “This is our chance to really hopefully make a difference by helping students to think about where they fall when they’re thinking…
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‘Grow Small’ to Find Meaning in a Wounded World
By Lucas Johnston ('98), Director of the Wake Forest Undergraduate Environmental Program I teach courses on religions and environmental issues, with values and ethics always at the forefront of our conversations. We are a meaning-making [...]
Hidden Gems of the Great Outdoors
Finding Peace in Nature During a Pandemic By Lauren Berryman ('21) Explore the full photo essay, "Hidden Gems of the Great Outdoors" here. "When the future is full of uncertainty and dread, where can you [...]
Environmental Program Celebrates 25 Years with a Permanent Home in Palmer Hall
Not only does the undergraduate Environmental (ENV) Program have two new majors in environment and sustainability available to students starting this fall -- it now has a place to call to call home. For [...]
How to Engage Your Students in the Age of Social Distancing
Are you a faculty member seeking ways to engage your students in course material from a safe, social distance this fall? Take advantage of our Campus as Lab program and email us at sustainability@wfu.edu [...]
Community Cohesion in the Face of Disruption – Our Thoughts on COVID-19
In this time of rapid change and uncertainty, we are reminded of Raj Patel’s words to us: "You have never been just one person -- you have always been a part of a community." Know [...]
Environmental Majors are Approved
Beginning with the class of 2021, students can graduate with sustainability degrees. By: Caroline Walker ('22), Graphic Design Assistant for the Office of Sustainability. Find the original publication of this article in the Old Gold & [...]
