Environmental Studies Program - School of Arts and Sciences

The Environmental Studies Program offers students the opportunity to study how humans should relate to the natural world, a subject that has become increasingly relevant as more people begin paying attention to the Earth’s limited resources and our own impact on those resources.

Department News

Congratulations to Maria Psarakis, winner of the 2018 Christopher L. Stevenson Award for Excellence in Environmental Science and the Student Symposium Sustainability Award.

Ashley James, '18, published "Journeying the James," in the VA Engage Journal.

Environmental Studies Feature Stories

University of Richmond Professor Stephanie Spera Awarded Fellowship for Fall Foliage Research in Acadia National Park

Stephanie Spera, an assistant professor in the University of Richmond Department of Geography and the Environment, has been awarded a fellowship to conduct research in Acadia National Park in Maine.

University of Richmond Professor Todd Lookingbill Honored for Leadership in Landscape Ecology

University of Richmond’s Todd Lookingbill, associate professor of geography, environmental studies, and biology, has received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the U.S. Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology.

University of Richmond Hosts Environmental Racism Symposium

The University of Richmond Department of Geography and the Environment and Bonner Center for Civic Engagement will host a symposium focusing on environmental racism Feb. 4, noon to 3 p.m., in the Robins School of Business, Ukrop Auditorium.

UR Geography and the Environment Professor David Salisbury Receives Grant to Map Threatened Borderlands in the Amazon

David Salisbury, University of Richmond associate professor and chair of the Department of Geography and the Environment, has received a grant from the Pan-American Institute of Geography and History to research environmental challenges in the Amazon.

Colby Prokop, '19, and Andrew Reeder, '19Colby Prokop and Andrew Reeder, both ’19, have won the Distinguished Student Research Award from The School for Field Studies (SFS). As if that weren’t enough, this is the first time two students from the same university have received the award in the same year.

University of Richmond to Host Panel Discussion About Environmental Justice and Pipelines Debate

The University of Richmond’s Department of Geography and the Environment is hosting a panel discussion focusing on environmental justice Oct. 2 in the Carole Weinstein International Center Commons.

Researching Global Ecosystems in AustraliaGeography professor Todd Lookingbill and his students traveled to Australia’s Outback and Great Barrier Reef for classes on biology, geography and conservation.

UR professors receive NSF support for rock pools research

University of Richmond biology professor Kristine Grayson has received a $20,000 Research Opportunity Award grant from the National Science Foundation for a collaborative project on understanding species diversity in rock pool communities in the James River.

UR biology professor receives fellowship to explore ways to safely gather important scientific information in conflict zones

Peter Smallwood, associate professor of biology at the University of Richmond has received a Jefferson Science Fellowship with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Recent graduate awarded Fulbright grant to teach English in Brazil

Jacquelyn Pearlmutter, who graduated from the University of Richmond in May, has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant.

UR Science Symposium will showcase student research in the areas of breast cancer, medical math, implicit bias and more

University of Richmond’s annual Science Symposium will be held Sept. 22 in the Gottwald Center for the Sciences. The day will include a panel discussion, a showcase of student research projects and a keynote presentation.

UR gallery talks explore relationship between sustainability and art

The University of Richmond will host two gallery discussions exploring the relationship between sustainability and art related to a current exhibition, “Crooked Data: (Mis)Information in Contemporary Art.”