Environmental Sciences Majors Newsletter
March 2026
Dear Major:
We hope you are having a productive year! In preparation for the Fall 2026 semester, this newsletter presents important information on advising, courses, placement, research opportunities, awards, and graduation.
Fall Advising Information
The Department of Environmental Sciences is recruiting students for both its BS and BA degrees. We encourage you to recommend our department to fellow students who may not have selected their major at this time. Anyone needing assistance in determining whether a degree in Environmental Sciences is right for them should see Mr. Bob Davis, Director of Undergraduate Programs.
Fall 2026 Courses
Lower Division:
EVSC 1010 Introduction to Environmental Sciences, Mr. M. Lerdau, 3 credits
EVSC 1600 Water on Earth, Mr. F. Cheng, 3 credits
EVSC 2050 Introduction to Oceanography, TBD, 3 credits
Core Courses: Each of our four required core courses is offered every semester, and each consists of a 3-credit lecture and a 1-credit laboratory. The offerings and instructors for Fall 2026 are:
EVSC 2800, 2801 Fundamentals of Geology, Ms. L. Miller, 3 credits, 1 credit
EVSC 3200, 3201, Fundamentals of Ecology, Ms. C. Nyelele, 3 credits, 1 credit
EVSC 3300, 3301, Atmosphere & Weather, Ms. K. Schiro, 3 credits, 1 credit
EVSC 3600, 3601, Physical Hydrology, Mr. T. Scanlon, 3 credits, 1 credit
Upper Division: Planned upper division offerings for Fall 2026 include:
EVSC 3020 GIS Methods, Mr. J. Porter, 4 credits
EVSC 3060 Biomechanics of Organisms, Mr. M. Reidenbach, 3 credits
EVSC 4002 Undergraduate Seminar, Ms. L. Miller, 1 credit
EVSC 4010 Introduction to Remote Sensing, Mr. X. Yang, 4 credits
EVSC 4100 Management of Forest Ecosystems, Ms. C. Nyelele, 3 credits
EVSC 4110 Coastal & Estuarine, Ms. K. McGlathery, 3 credits
EVSC 4340* Human Biometeorology, Mr. R. Davis, 3 credits
EVSC 4452 Global Climate Variability Seminar, Mr. K. Grise, 2 credits
EVSC 4870 Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Mr. J. Richardson, 3 credits
EVAT 4990 Air Pollution, Ms. S. Pusede, 3 credits
EVSC 4993 Independent Study
EVSC 4995 Supervised Research
EVSC 4999 Thesis Research
*Fulfills Second Writing Requirement
Undergraduate students are reminded that courses at the 5000-level are open to them, and most advanced majors should be able to handle the subject material in those courses as well as they can handle 4000-level courses.
EVSC 5300*: Intro Climatology, Mr. K. Grise, 3 credits
EVAT 5310 Tropical Meteorology, Ms. K. Schiro, 3 credits
EVAT 5320 Mountain Meteorology, Mr. S. DeWekker, 3 credits
EVHY 5610 GIS Watershed Resilience, Mr. L. Band, 3 credits
EVHY 5620 Water Quality Modeling, Mr. F. Cheng, 3 credits
EVGE 5700 Forest Hydrology, Mr. L. Band, 3 credits
EVGE 5820* Geomorphology, Mr. A. Limaye, 3 credits
EVSC 5830 Soil & Water Ecotoxicology, Mr. J. Richardson, 3 credits
EVGE 5880 Glaciology, Ms. L. Miller, 3 credits
*Fulfills Second Writing Requirement
New course
EVSC 4559: Regional Climate
This course explores the physical processes governing the exchange of energy, water, and momentum between the land surface and the regional atmosphere. Structure: Lectures are shared by both undergraduate and graduate students, while laboratory components and final project expectations are tiered by enrollment level.
Faculty Advisors
The Department's Undergraduate Academic Advising Committee (UGARC) is Mr. Bob Davis, Atmospheric Sciences, red3u@virginia.edu, Ms. Charity Nyelele hbt3mb@virginia.edu , Ecology, Mr. Manuel Lerdau, Ecology mtl5g@virginia.edu, and Ms. Lauren Miller, Geosciences, lauren.miller@virginia.edu. When deciding on a major, students may contact any of these committee members. At that time, a faculty advisor will be assigned (each student’s advisor preferences and academic interests will be considered). During the student's time in the department, their assigned advisor is the primary source of information. For more complicated issues, they can contact the area representative on the UGARC.
Students with questions about interpreting requirements, transfer credits, SIS-related problems, and study abroad should see Mr. Davis.
Arts and Sciences Council
College Council is the governing body of the College of Arts and Sciences at UVA and is dedicated to representing the needs and interests of its students, serving as peer academic advisors, strengthening college identity, fostering faculty-student relations, and connecting with alumni. https://uvacollegecouncil.com/
Faculty Student Interaction Grants (FSIGs) are awarded to instructors who plan to interact with students in a creative manner outside of the classroom. The grants are aimed at fostering relations between instructors and their classes, and to enhance students’ learning experiences. This funding program is available to faculty members, teaching assistants, and Cavalier Education instructors.
Grants are usually awarded for $250-$500. There is no limit to the number of events an instructor may seek funding per semester. Please contact the Funding Chair at collegecouncilfundingchair@gmail.com with any questions. https://www.uvastudco.com/funding-resources
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES ORGANIZATION
The Environmental Sciences Organization (ESO) serves as a link between Environmental Science students and faculty and provides a fun forum for promoting undergraduate involvement in department and environment related activities. Fall and Spring semester ESO meetings are held weekly. The ESO website is https://eso.evsc.virginia.edu/. If you would like to join ESO, please contact President Reena Sayani: phw8vs@virginia.edu Check out the bulletin board in the lobby of Clark Hall for notices of ESO meetings and events. Department long- and short-sleeved t-shirts are available from ESO.
FALL 2026 MAJOR'S SEMINAR
The Environmental Sciences Organization sponsors the Major's Seminar—EVSC 4002 each semester from 3-4 p.m. on Tuesdays to address subjects in environmental sciences and related fields. The seminar covers the interests of the Department of Environmental Sciences and specific issues related to the environment. Current research in the department, local concerns, and world-wide environmental issues broadly categorize the seminar topics. If you have any suggestions for the seminar, please contact Ms. Lauren Miller (lauren.miller@virginia.edu). Please remember that because this course is not graded, it
cannot be used to satisfy the requirements for the degree, but the 1 credit can count toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
SPECIALIZATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
The Department of Environmental Sciences, in conjunction with the Department of Biology, offers an opportunity for students to obtain a Bachelor of Arts or Science in Environmental Sciences with a Specialization in Environmental and Biological Conservation. Candidates for the Specialization must fulfill all the requirements for the Environmental Sciences major with additional Specialization requirements.
The requirements for the Specialization can be found at: https://evsc.as.virginia.edu/conservation-specialization.
Students who are interested in this Specialization should consult with an advisor who is a faculty of the
Environmental Conservation Program, preferably when declaring their major. The faculty member in charge of this program in 2026-27 is listed on the website.
INTERNATIONAL STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
The University of Virginia has a formal undergraduate exchange program of special interest to students in Environmental Sciences with Lancaster University, Lancaster, England. Lancaster University offers a range of courses in environmental sciences and is recommended by the UVA Department of Environmental Sciences. Information on the program is available in the International Studies Resource Library, Minor Hall 216. The link for the International Studies Office is www.virginia.edu/iso/. Any student interested in Study Abroad should contact Mr. Davis at least one semester prior to their intended Study Abroad semester.
FACULTY CHANGES 2026-2027
Max Castorani will be teaching engagements for Fall 2026.
Scott Doney will be on leave for Fall 2026.
Howard Epstein will be on leave for Fall 2026.
Antonio Mamalakis will be on leave for Fall 2026.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
There are several ways majors can gain research experience, including participation in the various programs listed below:
Distinguished Majors Program
The Department of Environmental Sciences participates in the College's Distinguished Majors Program designed for highly qualified students with an overall GPA of 3.4 or above. This study plan requires 12 hours of advanced work (6 hours for advanced course work related to the research specialization and 6 hours of Supervised/Thesis Research). These 12 credits may be used toward the EVSC major electives requirement. It is best to begin this program in the early part of your third year. The project must be completed by the semester you plan to graduate.
mpleted by the semester you plan to graduate. For additional information, consult https://evsc.as.virginia.edu/undergraduate-research-opportunities or contact Mr. Bob Davis (red3u@virginia.edu). Applications for admission to the program are required in early October (for exact deadlines please contact the DMP director), for a planned graduation the following May or August, and no later than mid-April for a planned graduation the following December. It is best to apply well ahead of these deadlines.
If you expect to have an overall GPA of at least 3.4 upon graduation and are interested in doing a significant research project of your own, you should seriously consider this program. It is usually a 2- or 3-semester effort that involves working with a faculty member of your choice, developing a research proposal, doing the research, and presenting it to a forum of peers and faculty. Please see the faculty members with whom you would like to work and explore the program with them, or contact Mr. Bob Davis, DMP Director, to discuss research.
Senior Thesis Program
The senior thesis option is available for all EVSC majors, regardless of GPA. As with the DMP, these students will work similarly with a faculty member to develop a research idea, conduct the research, write a senior thesis, and present/defend this work. Senior thesis students can earn six credits of Supervised/Thesis Research, which can count toward the EVSC major elective credit. Interested students should see the faculty member with whom they would like to work and explore the program with them or contact Mr. Davis to discuss research opportunities.
Supervised Research and Independent Study
Supervised Research is not only a component of the Distinguished Majors and Senior Thesis Programs; indeed, any EVSC major may conduct supervised research. Supervised Research is an excellent way to learn specific lab or field techniques as part of a faculty member’s research project. Students will use these research methodologies to generate data and analyze and produce results. To become involved, you should contact a faculty member whose area of research is of interest to you. If you simply want to gain lab or field experience, then seek their advice on how to proceed. If you have your own research topic to propose, then seek their agreement to supervise your project. Such a project would usually involve background reading, data collection or analysis or any set of scientific research components agreed to by you and your supervisor, and a written report on your findings. Some projects may require more than one semester to complete, and some may even lead to publication in scientific journals or presentations at conferences. The experience of completing an undergraduate research project, besides being intellectually rewarding, provides excellent preparation for graduate work. Those who are considering graduate study are strongly encouraged to conduct a Supervised Research project in their third or fourth year.
Independent Study projects are developed in a similar manner, by contacting the faculty member with whom you would like to work, but Independent Study projects are not necessarily directly related to ongoing research efforts. Rather, they allow students to learn about an interesting and relevant topic (effectively on their own) that might be appropriate for a course, but that may not be specifically offered in our curriculum. This is accomplished typically through reviewing literature, with a variety of on-campus or off-campus experiences, under the supervision of an EVSC faculty member.
Graduate Mentoring Program
The undergraduate research mentoring program seeks to connect undergraduate students who are interested in gaining experience with scientific research in the environmental sciences with graduate students who can provide those opportunities. Undergraduate students may either 1) assist a graduate student with an existing research project or 2) develop their own research project under the guidance of a graduate student. Due to the varied nature of student interests, research projects, and graduate student needs there is no single prescribed format for the research program or the mentor-mentee relationship. The undergraduate student often receives academic credit for their work although volunteering – especially for shorter-term research experiences – and employment are also possible outcomes. For more information, please visit our web site at: https://evsc.as.virginia.edu/undergraduate-research-opportunities Even though these projects will be done under direct supervision of a graduate student, to earn academic credit, the project must be initiated through, and approved by, an appropriate faculty person, usually the graduate student’s major advisor.
Paid Research Experiences
Many of the research projects in the Department need various types of skilled student labor during the school year and summer. If you are interested in using or developing a research skill for pay, please contact the faculty member of your choice to explore the possibility with them.
Summer Research Scholarships
Some of the research projects in the Department have scholarships for summer research work. Recently these have been through the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project and through Blandy Experimental Farm, https://evsc.as.virginia.edu/facilities, although several other programs offer these scholarships occasionally. Watch notices of availability or contact the faculty directing these projects in the fall or early spring.
END-OF-THE-YEAR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Departmental Awards Ceremony and Reception
The annual Departmental Award and Recognition Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in Clark Hall 108. The undergraduate awards to be presented include the Wallace-Poole Award for the outstanding major and additional awards for each area of the department. The Distinguished Major Program participants will be recognized, and the Grant Goodell Award for most outstanding interdisciplinary thesis will be given. We urge you to attend this exciting event.
The Environmental Science Graduation Ceremony
The Department of Environmental Sciences will honor graduating majors in Clark Hall after the University's Commencement Exercise on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Graduating majors will be contacted with further details.
CONCLUSION
You will get the most benefit from your experience as an Environmental Sciences major if you engage with the faculty, graduate students, and other undergraduate students in taking advantage of the broad range of academic, professional, and social activities in the Department. Please get to know your advisor, your professors, your teaching assistants, your research colleagues, and your fellow students. If you need any more information about your chosen field of study or about our program, please ask any member of the Department.