James Madison University's

Institute for Environment

The Institute for Environment is a collegial association of environmental faculty from James Madison University, crossing departmental, college, and academic program boundaries.

Mission

The Institute for Environment (IFE) promotes synergism and faculty/student collaboration in environmental research, projects, and degree programs, helping to ensure that JMU is identified as an institution with a world-class environmental presence which is both coordinated and diverse.

Structure

The IFE membership consists of JMU faculty with active teaching and/or research programs pertaining to the environment. The Institute is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of delegates of the various programs represented. The Steering Committee elects its own chairperson annually. Honorary student membership may be granted to students by the Steering Committee on the basis of scholarship and service.

Activities

The IFE conducts a variety of activities intended to foster communication and collaboration among the JMU environmental faculty and students, as well as their external stakeholders. Examples of these activities include:

1. maintenance of a presence in the JMU Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs (including their indices) to help prospective students and other stakeholders find and navigate the various environmental programs and courses available at JMU;

2. maintenance of a world wide web presence (www.jmu.edu/InstituteForEnvironment) which serves as an electronic "front door" to environmental programs and activities at JMU;

3. facilitation of dialog about the various environmental programs offered or proposed;

4. operation of a directory and email list to help Institute members discover each other's expertise and communicate with each other;

5. dissemination of news of interest to Institute members via either electronic or paper means;

6. maintenance of a resource list to help faculty and students locate environmental instruments, equipment, and software on campus;

7. organization of mini-conferences/workshops on the environment to showcase student and faculty work from all departments and programs;

8. sponsorship of scholarships/grants to help students with research expenses, conference travel, &c.

Roster

The current roster of the Institute for Environment may be viewed using MS Word or OpenOffice.

Initiatives by IFE members

Academic Programs:

Environmental Information Systems minor (Steve Frysinger)

Environmental Science minor (Bruce Wiggins)

Environmental Studies minor (Pete Bsumek)

Environmental Management minor (Steve Frysinger)

Ecology and Environmental Biology concentration - Biology (Bruce Wiggins)

Environmental and Natural Resource concentration - Economics (Barkley Rosser)

Environmental Studies concentration - Geography (Jack Gentile)

Environment concentration - ISAT (Steve Frysinger)

Centers and Other Programs:

Alternative Fuel Vehicles program (Chris Bachmann)

Center for Environment, Health and Safety (Steve Frysinger)

Environmental Education Center (Carole Nash)

Pure Water 2000 Forum (Wayne Teel)

	Last Revised: September 29, 2009    For More Information: Dr. Steve Frysinger Publisher: Institute for Environment Privacy Statement