For years, jobs have been colloquially divided into two categories: blue-collar careers or white-collar careers. These days, the growing green movement and green job market has created a new buzzword and a demand for a new job category – green-collar careers.

The University of St. Thomas has redesigned its environmental science program and will now offer a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science which includes a minor in chemistry, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies which involves joint majors in Catholic studies, communications, political science or psychology.

While many universities offer degrees which study environmental science from ecological and economic perspectives, UST is able to go a step further to explore environmental issues from a moral perspective in light of faith-based teachings.

One of the unique features of UST’s new environmental program is that it offers a strong foundation in integral environmentalism with roots in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. The program also provides training in environmental science as it relates to urban issues, with hands-on field experiences as well as service to the community.  The University’s location in Houston near Buffalo Bayou, Galveston Island, and the ship channel presents excellent opportunities for field work in an urban environment.

“The new interdisciplinary Environmental Science and Environmental Studies program not only responds to career trends, but has a dual emphasis especially suited to a small Catholic liberal arts university like UST,” said Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, Environmental Science and Studies chair. “The program educates students as to the moral imperative to care for the earth, especially as advanced by Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict XVI, while at the same time equipping them with the technical skills needed to pursue graduate studies or to be entry-level environmental professionals.

 
“My hope for the program is that the two emphases will support and enrich one another for the benefit of the students, the University and the natural environment,” she said.

Sr. Damien Marie earned a doctoral degree in environmental engineering and a master’s degree in theology from The Catholic University of America, and a master’s degree in soil science from the University of Connecticut. In 2008, her doctoral research was published as a book entitled, The Contemplative River: The Confluence Between People and Place in Ecological Restoration.

Upon graduation, UST students will be prepared for careers in environmental science or studies as well as graduate studies at the master’s or doctoral level. Students may also apply to law school to study environmental law and policy. UST students will be prepared for careers with governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations, oil and gas companies, businesses, consulting firms, and local organizations such as the Port of Houston Authority, in areas including urban planning, environmental quality, geology, wildlife and fisheries, or waste management.

Available courses include: Nature and the Environment in Literature, Theology of Creation, Authentic Development and Sustainability, Catholicism and the Natural and Social Sciences, Introduction to the Earth Environment, Physical Geology, Environmental Law and Policy, Field Studies in Ecology and Environmental Science, Urban Environmental Investigations, Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Advanced Topics in GIS, Internship in Environmental Science and Studies, and a Capstone Seminar in Environmental Science and Studies.

For more information about UST's environmental programs, please e-mail Sr. Damien Marie Savino, Chair, at savinod@stthom.edu.