Environmental Study and Research at Louisiana’s Universities  (2022)

Louisiana educators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels continue to develop educational programs on the natural environment, climate change, and sustainability. Back in 2017, I described certain state schools that had initiated Green School programs and some of the many grants and awards that had been achieved by state students and teachers.

  

Some graduating high school students choose traditional college degree programs in agriculture, forestry, biology, zoology, wildlife management, meteorology, and several other disciplines related to ecology and the natural environment. As climate change issues have gained more global and national attention, universities have recognized the interest and demand from students for academic programs that are more transdisciplinary and focused on climate change and sustainability challenges. 

This trend in higher education is revealed by the many state universities that are now offering bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and closely related fields. Tulane, LSU-Baton Rouge, Loyola-New Orleans, UL-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, UNO, Southern, Centenary, UL-Monroe, and McNeese have environmental science programs. Several other universities, such as LSU-Shreveport, Xavier, and Southeastern, have bachelor programs in biological science with an option for a concentration or multiple courses in environmental science.   

Many college students completing bachelor’s programs decide to continue career preparation through graduate programs. Study and research in environmental science and associated fields can be undertaken at the doctoral level at four of our research universities in this state. Doctoral programs both in environmental sciences and in oceanography and coastal sciences are available at LSU-Baton Rouge. Tulane and UNO both have a PhD program in earth and environmental sciences. UL-Lafayette provides a PhD program in earth and energy sciences that is a multidisciplinary program combining chemistry, physics, environmental science, and geology.  One important characteristic of university doctoral programs is the opportunity for students to work closely with talented faculty researchers. Some of our most impactful scientific discoveries have occurred within American university laboratories and research facilities. 

    

A quick Google search can reveal various listings of the top-rated university programs nationally and globally in environmental science and sustainable development. I’m proud that my doctoral alma mater, Arizona State University, is near the top of some of these listings. Times Higher Education Magazine ranked Arizona State University the #1 university in the USA and #9 in the world for global impact in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through research, outreach and stewardship in 2021. Among North America’s greenest universities and colleges, the Sierra Magazine recently ranked ASU #1 of 328 institutions, rising from #4 the previous year, for its comprehensive approach to sustainability. The Global Futures Laboratory and Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at ASU are tackling some of the world’s more critical challenges through interdisciplinary study and research, as well as collaboration with diverse public and private institutions.  

While Louisiana’s institutions of higher learning might not rank in the top 10 or 25 in various national rankings for teaching and research in environmental science or sustainability, we do have important work underway in this state. Much of this faculty and graduate student research is focused on particular regional and state environmental challenges. One unique example is our state's coastal research facility, the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) located in Chauvin. This consortium has ten PhDs who provide outreach services for all ages to understand better the natural and human-influenced processes affecting coastal Louisiana’s landscape and resources. The educators there also work to develop the next generation of innovators through providing undergraduate and graduate courses as well as related research experiences. 

Individual state research universities, particularly LSU-BR, have dedicated facilities for focusing on specific environmental concerns. The Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences at UNO is another example of partnerships of scientists and higher educators. This institute combines scientific research with education, outreach, and planning to develop practical solutions for the environmental challenges of the Pontchartrain Basin, the Gulf of Mexico, and similar coastal ecosystems.   

Our research universities often work closely with various federal agencies that are conducting environmental research. The UL-Lafayette Research Park is the location for both the US Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research Center as well as the Estuarine Fisheries and Coastal Habitats Research Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Most Louisiana citizens are relatively unaware of cutting-edge research and useful applications emerging from these higher education investments. Within our busy work and leisure lives, we hardly notice other than a few important breakthroughs that that are reported occasionally. I wish more of us could visit and keenly observe the work cultures within environmental research communities at our major state universities. Those involved with these research activities have a strong commitment for a better future that should be more frequently praised and emulated elsewhere.