Earth and Environment Scholars look at issues of sustainability through many lenses and connect with faculty members from Geography & Geosciences and Environmental Studies. UVM offers many strong programs exploring different facets of the environment; this program helps students to understand the options and which might be a good fit for them. Students live in University Heights South with all other LASP students and take a few courses with their Earth & Environment cohort of twenty-five first year students. This theme is a good fit for Environmental Studies majors but it is by no means required to be in that major. The 2025-26 cohort has students who are Undeclared, Political Science, Global Studies, Chinese, Psychological Science and more.
Classes proposed for 2026-27
Geography 1025 – The Human Environment (Fall)
This course provides an introduction and an overview of how society and environment interact. This course focuses primarily on human society and social structures as they relate to the environment. The topics covered in this class will include: human population and resources, markets and commodities, institutions, ethics, risks and hazards, political economy, constructions of nature. This course will also examine several environmental case studies that incorporate and re-enforce these concepts, including preservation, conservation, environmental justice, and waste management.
Taught by Professor Tyler Sonnichsen
Environmental Studies 1500 – Intro to Environmental Studies (Fall)
The EE students as a cohort will be enrolled in a section of Intro to Environmental Studies, a course that meets three times per week plus a lab section. This course meets the requirements for a Natural Sciences with lab course, which is required of all CAS graduates. It is also a course that is required of anyone who is or goes on to declare an Environmental Studies major or minor.
Taught by Professor Amy Seidl
Geology 1025 – Earth & Mineral Resources (Spring)
How do Earth processes result in the formation and distribution of mineral and energy resources? This course examines critical minerals and energy resources, from geological settings and modes of formation to methods of resource exploration and extraction. We will also explore relationships to broader issues of sustainability, geopolitics, and planetary health considering historical and current events.
Taught by Professor Laura Webb
Students:
"The Earth and Environment LASP provided me with an environment where I was able to explore my academic interests in an intimate learning environment. The classes I took broadened my understanding of what it meant to study the environment through scientific, cultural, artistic, and literary lenses. I took classes that I would have never chosen for myself, but they ended up being my favorite classes I’ve taken so far. The small group sizes allowed my peers and I to engage in compelling discussions, work in small groups, and make lasting friendships. The professors were passionate and engaging, and I was able to make strong connections with them. LASP is an excellent way for students to become acclimated into the UVM community through shared interests and academic passions. It creates opportunities for students to build connections both academically and socially, and ultimately, allowed me to experience my first year of college to the fullest."
- Izzy D., Political Science & Environmental Studies Double Major
“The Earth and Environment Scholars program was an exceptional opportunity that allowed me to get experience in natural science related fields without being in the Rubenstein School. The EES program is unique, and thus notable, because it took elements from other areas of study, like philosophy and literature, and connected them to our learning about the natural environment and the role we as humans have played in shaping it. Another aspect of the class, which is the same for all LASP programs is the small class sizes. These allowed me and my fellow classmates to more deeply understand what was being taught and connect with the professors on a personal level.”
- Barton R., Entered UVM Undecided, Now a Geography Major
