Course Descriptions
Schedule of course offerings 2006 - 2010
General Education and Introductory Freshman Course
ISAT 112: Environmental Issues (Fall and Spring)
This course integrates the study of biology, chemistry, and statistics within the context of environmental issues that include ozone depletion, acid rain, global warming, waste management and biodiversity.
Strategic Sector Courses
ISAT 302: Instrumentation and Measurement of the Environment (Fall)
Traditional and contemporary analytical laboratory and field techniques used in environmental quality monitoring are surveyed. Emphasis is placed on understanding the physical, chemical and biological basis of these techniques. Hands-on laboratory and field work will be emphasized, in addition to quality control/assurance of environmental data.
ISAT 320: Fundamentals of Environmental Science and Technology I (Fall)
This course provides the student with a basic understanding of environmental pollution, processes, and control technologies. The course begins with a review and extension of the basic sciences supporting Environmental Science. Water and wastewater quality, management, and treatment are then addressed, culminating in independent team projects in this area.
ISAT 321: Fundamentals of Environmental Science and Technology II (Spring)
This course continues to build the student's basic understanding of environmental pollution, processes, and control technologies. The course considers solid and hazardous waste and its management, discusses the principles of environmental risk assessment, and addresses air quality analysis and management, culminating in independent team projects in this area.
Concentration Courses
Students choose THREE of the courses listed below, and a FOURTH course (ISAT or otherwise) by approval of Dr. Frysinger.
ISAT 420: Environmental Analysis & Modeling (Fall)
This course explores applications of mathematical techniques and computer models to the environmental field. The course introduces the principles underlying environmental analysis and modeling, including limitations and pitfalls. Several environmental models and analytical systems are then discussed and applied, using a variety of computational platforms.
ISAT 421: Environmental Policy and Regulation (Spring)
This course will familiarize students with basic environmental laws and regulations. The course discusses the purpose of environmental policy, the role of environmental economics in policy decisions, and the policy instruments available to environmental regulators. Current federal and state statutes affecting waste disposal, air quality, and water quality are discussed.
ISAT 422: Environmental Management (Fall)
This course addresses environmental issues faced by industry, including such topics as waste management, chemical inventories, pollution prevention, and discharge permitting. Industrial Ecology is introduced as an approach to the development of a sustainable industrial society, including treatment of Life Cycle Analysis, Design for Environment, Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing, and ISO14000.
ISAT 423: Environmental Remediation (Spring)
This course will examine the principles of environmental chemistry which apply to the remediation of contaminated soil and water, including the properties of soils systems and the factors controlling mass transport, partitioning, and chemical fate. Current and emerging remediation technologies and their limitations in soil and groundwater restoration are reviewed.
ISAT 424: Natural Resource Management (Fall)
This course focuses on how resource management decisions affect the human and natural communities involved. Topics include definition and importance of natural resources, resource management styles and policies, and planning for resource conservation. Conservation biology is introduced as a tool for developing sustainable resource use policies. Mandatory weekend field trip.
ISAT 425: Environmental Hydrology (Spring)
This course integrates the study of surface water and ground water hydrology and examines current technologies used to assess the behavior and quality of water in the environment. Topics include monitoring and management at the watershed level, the influence of wetlands on water quality, and the impact of current regulations.
ISAT 426: Environmental Information Systems (Summer)
This course provides students with practical experience applying advanced environmental information systems technologies to environmental problems. Students will employ such technologies as decision support systems, geographic information systems, expert systems, relational databases, multimedia systems, and modeling and simulation. This course is often offered in a study-abroad format.
ISAT 427: Industrial Hygiene (Spring)
This course provides an introductory survey of the field of Industrial Hygiene. Chemical hazards are addressed first, focusing on respiratory and dermal exposures, followed by a treatment of physical hazards including sound, radiation, and temperature. The course includes industrial case studies illustrating administrative and engineering controls in common use.
ISAT 428: Industrial Ecology. (Summer)
Industrial Ecology, the "science of sustainability", seeks to encourage the development of a sustainable industrial society. This course introduces and examines this relatively new field of inquiry and practice. We address various practical topics which are associated with Industrial Ecology, including Life Cycle Assessment, Design for Environment, and Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing.
ISAT/GEOG 429: Sustainability: An Ecological Process. 3 credits. (Spring)
This course examines present global environmental impacts and efforts made to change production and consumption patterns toward those that reduce impact on ecosystems or promote increased ecosystems health. The focus lies in understanding the basic resources of productivity including soils, agricultural systems, agroforestry, forestry and aquatic environments and applying solutions on a personal and community level. Prerequisite: ISAT 320 or permission of instructor.
ISAT 471: Transportation: Energy, Environment, and Society
This course provides an overview of transportation's role in energy demand, environmental change, and economic development. Domestic and global transportation trends are compared and their impacts on fossil fuel consumption, air pollution, climate, ecosystems, and social structure are analyzed. Contemporary technological, policy, and behavioral solutions are critically examined with an emphasis on alternative fuels, advanced vehicle architectures, and regulatory measures.
ISAT 480: International Energy Initiatives (Summer)
This summer session Study Abroad course examines energy technologies and policies through field study in Germany, Luxembourg and France. Case studies and tours are used to illustrate issues and problems. This course is offered concurrently with ISAT 426 (Environmental Information Systems) and ISAT 428 (Industrial ecology).
HAZWOPER: Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
Contact: Dr. Steve Frysinger
ISAT faculty offer training and certification in hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER), making both 40-hour certification and 8-hour refreshers available to students and community members in accordance with OSHA regulations.
