Environmental Science/Studies
400 Acres of the 2,000-acre Campus Set Aside for Field Experience
Environmental Science student wins LSRPA Elmeryl Davies Memorial Scholarship
Geographic Information Systems is a Necessary Tool in Decision Making
Ecological Forest Management Techniques Support More Diverse, Resilient, and Sustainable Forest Ecosystems
The Environmental Science/Studies program (ENVL) at Stockton prepares students to deal with the complex environmental problems that confront society by providing a broad, basic understanding of the interactions among the physical, biological and human components of the environment.
About the Program
One of the hallmarks of Environmental Science/Studies is student engagement. The program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of environmental phenomena to emphasize the complexity of environmental problems. The program encourages cooperation between students and the full-time faculty in courses and in independent research that often involves extensive fieldwork and real-world applications. This hands-on work helps prepare students for careers or graduate education. In many courses and projects, the program utilizes the latest technology as components of students’ learning experience to prepare them for their professional lives. The program requires a senior project that can be an internship with government agencies, private consulting firms, natural resource industries, and environmental organizations as a practical approach to learning about the field. Alternatively, the senior project can involve independent research with a faculty member to deepen the student’s experience in and understanding of the environment.
Program Chair:
Catherine Tredick
Associate Professor of
Environmental Studies / Sustainability
A&S-221 | 609-626-5518
Catherine.Tredick@stockton.edu
Program Features
Our program is located on a campus of 1600 acres, most of which are part of an environmental reserve. The facilities include:
- Soils, hydrology, ecology and environmental chemistry laboratories
- Biological and geological collections
- Environmental field monitoring stations
- A groundwater monitoring well field
- Greenhouse and arboretum
- Two 'dedicated' Geographic Information Systems (GIS) microcomputer laboratories
- One containing 25 workstations with dual monitors, a large flatbed printer
- Another containing an additional 21 computers
Additional Information
Stockton Forest Management Plan (SFMP)
Awards and Recognition:
Inclusion in Education for the Earth: A Guide to Top Environmental Studies Programs
Curriculum
The Environmental Science/Studies (ENVL) program draws on the strengths of a closely related and interconnected cluster of degree programs offered by the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, including Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Geology, Marine Science and Sustainability. Students can select courses widely from areas within Environmental Science/Studies to get a broad perspective, or they can specialize in one of several areas, or concentrations, within Environmental Science/Studies, if their interests are more narrowly defined.
The Environmental Science/Studies program has multiple possible concentrations of study:
- B.A. Environmental Studies
- Environmental Quality (Pollution/Remediation) Concentration
- Forestry Concentration
- Planning and GIS Concentration
- Soil Science and Hydrology Concentration
- Wildlife Concentration
- Education Concentration (see Education website)
- B.S. Environmental Science
- Minor
- GIS Certificate
Dual Degree
The dual BS/PSM program is an intensive five-year curriculum that offers students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and a Professional Science Master’s degree. Students take enough courses to meet all requirements for the undergraduate BS and then transition into the MS program in their “senior” year, the fourth year of study. This program is designed as a terminal degree for students who want to obtain advanced skills that will prepare them for the workplace. Students interested in research leading to a doctoral degree should consider more traditional programs and are advised to enroll in the BS in Environmental Science and take basic and applied science courses that prepare them for a broad range of research opportunities typical of a conventional graduate program.
Stockton students may apply for early, conditional admission to the dual BS/PSM program as high school seniors and at the beginning of the second semester of their “junior” year.
Transfer students may apply alongside their application for admission to Stockton. Transfer students will be considered for admission on a case by case basis, depending on prerequisites met and the likelihood of completing upper level undergraduate ENVL courses by their senior year. Exceptional transfer students who do not have prerequisites may be conditionally admitted, in consultation with their advisors. These students may require more time to meet the requirements of the BS/PSM. Only students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 will be considered.
Faculty
Anthony Bevacqua, Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty
Mark Demitroff , Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty
Mark Demitroff
Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty
Board Member, South Jersey Culture & History Center (2011
– present)
Board Member, United States Permafrost Association (2013
– 2018)
| Phone: | 856.285.0458 Cell |
| Email: | Mark.Demitroff@stockton.edu |
| Office: | USC1 - 211 |
| Website/CV: |
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Land-Surface Processes: University of Delaware, in progress
M.S. Geography: University of Delaware, 2007
B.S. Agricultural Sciences: Rutgers, Cook College, 1982
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Pinelands Geography, Periglacial Geomorphology – Past Permafrost
COURSES TAUGHT
Pinelands Phys/Cultural Geog GIS 4672, The Pine Barrens, GNM 2234
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Past permafrost aggradation & degradation, eolian dynamics, paleohydrology, cryogenesis, geodiversity, Younger Dryas, Pine Barrens cultural history, folklore.
PUBLICATIONS
Woronko B, Karasiewicz T, Rychel J, Kupryjanowicz M, Fiłoc M, Moska P, Adamczyk A, Demitroff MN. 2022. A palaeoenvironmental record of MIS 3 climate change in NE Poland—Sedimentary and geochemical evidence. Quaternary International. 617: 80–100. DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2021.08.012
Demitroff M. 2016. Pleistocene ventifacts and ice-marginal conditions, New Jersey, USA. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. Palaeoenvironmental Special Issue 27: 123–137 DOI: 10.1002/ppp.1860
Wu Y, Sharma M, LeCompte MA, Demitroff M, Landis JD. 2013. Origin and provenance of spherules and magnetic grains at the Younger Dryas Boundary. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110, 38: E3557–E3566. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1304059110
French HM, Demitroff M. 2012. Late-Pleistocene paleohydrology, eolian activity and frozen ground, New Jersey Pine Barrens, eastern USA. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 91, 1/2: 25–35. DOI: 10.1017/S0016774600000548
LeCompte MA, Goodyear AC, Demitroff M, Batchelor D, Vogel EK, Mooney C, Rock BN, Seidel AW. 2012. An independent evaluation of conflicting microspherules results from different investigations of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109, 44: E2960–2969. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1208603109
French HM, Demitroff M, Streletskiy D, Forman SL, Gozdzik J, Konishchev VN, Rogov VV, Lebedeva-Verba MP. 2009. Evidence for Late-Pleistocene permafrost in the Pine Barrens, southern New Jersey. Kriosfera Zemli//Earth’s Cryosphere. 13, 3: 17–28 (in Russian).
French HM, Demitroff M, Newell WL. 2009. Past permafrost on the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, eastern United States. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. 20, 3: 285–294. DOI: 10.1002/ppp.659
Gordon T, Demitroff M. 2009. 13 August: spungs, cripples, blue holes, and savannahs (savannas) in the Pine Barrens of Atlantic and Cumberland Counties, NJ. Bartonia: Journal of the Philadelphia Botanical Club.64: 59–62.
Demitroff M, Doolittle JA, Nelson FE. 2008. Use of ground-penetrating radar to characterize cryogenic macrostructures in southern New Jersey, USA. In Kane DL, Hinkel, KM (eds.). Proceedings, Ninth International Conference on Permafrost. Institute of Northern Engineering. University of Alaska, Fairbanks. pp. 355–360
French HM, Demitroff M, Forman SL, Newell WL. 2007. A Chronology of Late-Pleistocene permafrost events in southern New Jersey, eastern USA. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. 18: 49–59. DOI: 10.1002/ppp.572
French HM, Demitroff M, Forman SL. 2005. Evidence for Late–Pleistocene thermokarst in the New Jersey Pine Barrens (latitude 39ºN), eastern USA. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes16: 173–186. DOI: 10.1002/ppp.520
French HM, Demitroff M, Forman SL. 2003. Evidence for Late–Pleistocene permafrost in the New Jersey Pine Barrens (latitude 39ºN). Eastern USA. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes14: 259–274. DOI: 10.1002/ppp.456
French HM, Demitroff M. 2001. On the cold–climate origin of the enclosed depressions and wetlands [‘spungs’] of the Pine Barrens, southern New Jersey, USA. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes.12: 337–350. DOI: 10.1002/ppp.401
Geoffrey Fouad, Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty
Jason Kelsey, Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty
Jason Simmons, Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty
Opportunities
The Environmental Science program is located on a campus of 1600-acres within the Pinelands National Reserve. The program is housed in the Arts and Sciences Building. Its facilities include the following.
- Soils, hydrology, ecology and environmental chemistry laboratories
- Biological and geological collections
- Environmental field monitoring stations
- A groundwater monitoring well field
- Greenhouse and arboretum
- Aquatic experimentation field
- Two ‘dedicated’ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) microcomputer laboratories, one containing 25 workstations with dual monitors, a large flatbed printer, and the other containing an additional 21 computers. Campus wide ArcGIS site licenses are available to all Stockton faculty and students and can be used in any computer lab on campus.
Alumni Success
Forest management is a conservation effort that helps to increase forest biodiversity and provides habitat for species that favor young, successional habitat. Schielzo, who has loved wildlife for as long as she can remember, aspires to be a conservation or wildlife biologist and to work overseas with threatened and endangered species.
B.S. Environmental Science, Minor Biology '16
During my junior year, I had the opportunity to use the forest on Stockton's campus as a living classroom. Stockton University is the first public land in the New Jersey Pinelands to have a comprehensive forest management plan, and I was one of the lucky few who played a role in its inception.
B.S. Environmental Science, Minor in Writing '15
Stockton's Environmental Track prepared me for this opportunity through their knowledgeable professors, who facilitated professional and personal growth through challenging courses and field experiences.
B.S. Environmental Science '15
After a circuitous first 2 years of undergrad at another University, I transferred to Stockton to pursue my real passion in the ENVL program. Upon starting my job, I was astonished at just how much my undergrad degree prepared me to make the jump into the working world.
B.S. Environmental Science '12
The University is a leader in alternative energy research. It is heated and cooled with a closed loop, geothermal system containing more than 400 wells. This is the world’s second largest system, and it heats and cools most of the academic spaces on campus. The University also has photovoltaic facilities one of which covers a portion of a parking lot and others of which are located on buildings.
The University supports a vigorous field program that provides experience with field techniques in regular course work as well as special courses that have included field trips to the Rocky Mountains, China, The Adirondack Park & Preserve, Brazil and other parts of the world.
The University was the first State entity to have a comprehensive forest management
plan approved by the Pinelands Commission in 2013. Since then ENVL students have had
a truly unique educational experience by participating in classes and research that
are measuring and monitoring the short and long-term effects on ecosystem parameters
from diverse silvicultural treatments like prescribed burns and thinnings.
Learn more about the ENVL program ELO's.These essential learning outcomes guide all Stockton University students from first-year
through graduation to the intellectual and marketable talents needed to prepare for
personal and professional success in the 21st century.
The Environmental Science Program offers a opportunities for students to get involved in various areas of interest outside of the classroom.
Career Opportunities
After graduation, qualified ENVL students have the opportunity to move into Stockton's Professional Science Masters program and complete a Bachelor of Science and Master's Degree in our 4+1 Dual Degree program. Many other graduates will seek employment in the environmental field. Some have risen to leadership positions or have started their own consulting companies. Still, others have graduated from Stockton to attend graduate schools where they frequently earn research and teaching assistantships that underwrite their graduate education.
Recent surveys indicate that the majority of Stockton’s Environmental graduates establish careers related to their major. They work in federal, regional, state, and local governmental agencies; in schools, colleges and universities; in engineering, consulting, and resource management and exploration companies; in a wide array of non-profit or nongovernmental organizations and in other related industries. ENVL students have been successful at some of the nation’s leading graduate schools, where they have gone on to complete doctoral degrees. Other students have begun successful businesses in environmental consulting, while yet others have risen to prominence in governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
Interested students may contact the program Coordinator of the Environmental Science program or speak to their Faculty Preceptor for additional information. The Career Education & Development office is also a good resources as students explore career and graduate education opportunities.
Explore information in:
Employment of environmental scientists and specialists is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Heightened public interest in the hazards facing the environment, as well as increasing demands placed on the environment by population growth, are projected to spur demand for environmental scientists and specialists. Many jobs will remain concentrated in state and local governments, and in industries that provide consulting services. Scientists and specialists will continue to be needed in these industries to analyze environmental problems and develop solutions that ensure communities’ health.
The median annual wage for environmental scientists and specialists was $71,360 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,810, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $124,760.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Office of Institutional Research collects information on where our alumni land
within six months of graduation. To learn more about Environmental Science alumni, use the Graduate Outcomes tool.
- Using the down arrow, uncheck 'All' and select 'Environmental Science'
The connections you made with your professors and preceptors are invaluable resources for your career planning. Beyond providing assistance on coursework and scheduling, they can give you guidance in planning for your post-college career.
In addition, we have a student Career Center that is available to guide you through your career development journey - from CV writing, interview prep or general guidance.
Environmental Science Internship Examples and Student Testimonials
Interns of the Atlantic County Office of GIS use GIS and remote sensing software to provide maps, spatial data, and imagery for state, county, and municipal projects within Atlantic County. Projects include tidal monitoring, disaster prevention, flood hazard mitigation, strategic growth management plans, municipal mapping for zoning use, service area mapping, municipal roadway assessment for planning, providing census information maps, transportation analysis, and environmental impact analysis.
GIS Interns will also provide a range of services for the office, including scanning documents, printing maps, receiving GIS-related phone calls, updating Atlantic County website resources, updating County geodatabases, and providing resources to office walk-ins.
“As an Intern for the Atlantic County Office of GIS, my objective is to take my in-classroom training provided by the Stockton University professors and apply it to the professional real-world scenarios presented to Atlantic County’s Department of Planning and Development. I most enjoy being able to broaden my “toolbox” of techniques at Atlantic County and attending Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management meetings, where I am able to merge my GIS experience with my interest in emergency management and response. I am extremely grateful for my time at Atlantic County and the Specialists I have the privilege of working under. Being an Atlantic County Office of GIS intern has given me a year’s worth of new knowledge and techniques to tackle the ever-changing world of geographic information science.”
Emily Peraria
Atlantic County Department of Planning and Development Intern
Click here for more information on Planning & GIS Concentration and the GIS Certificate. For more information on planning internships please contact Professor Weihong Fan.
Brick Township’s Division of Land Use & Planning is responsible for guiding development and maintaining the Master Plan and land use ordinances. This internship position works closely with two NJ licensed professional planners who work with the local Planning Board, Board of Adjustment and Zoning office staff. This also includes working closely with engineers, administrators and GIS specialists.
The Land Use & Planning team focuses on community smart-growth initiatives to minimize suburban sprawl while also encouraging residential, industrial and commercial growth. Brick Township is trying to maximize brownfield redevelopment while preserving forests, wetlands and local parks. The internship also works on Brick Township’s Sustainable New Jersey portfolio, applying for grants to enhance municipal sustainable development practices.
“This internship gave me firsthand experience working with professionals on various projects including: The Master Plan, planning studies, reports, review of subdivisions/site plans, drafting of ordinances, affordable housing compliance, geographical information mapping, tax map maintenance and grant writing. The Environmental Studies faculty and the education I gained at Stockton University made this opportunity possible. When I graduate I hope to work with a municipality directly on land use issues.”
Vinny Palmieri
Brick Township Planning Intern
Click here for more information on environmental planning and GIS concentration. For more information on planning internships please contact Professor Daniel Moscovici.
The internship entails a year-round training program for undergraduate students, under the tutelage of a program advisor John Hallagan and faculty member Tait Chirenje. The interns work alongside scientists from the NJDMAVA and contractors working on NJDMAVA projects in fulfilling assessment, monitoring, remediation and other environmental obligations for the NJDMAVA. The NJDMAVA elected to use students because collaborations of this nature provide interns with real world experiences and on-the-job training in environmental concentrations, such as conservation, remediation, wildlife management, and land management. This internship allows students to gain valuable career building experiences through completing practical projects and networking with professionals in the environmental field along the way.
“I joined the SUEIP team in January 2018 as a second semester Junior. I was interested in the program after speaking with my adviser and discussing the types of projects that were in progress. Since then, I have been a part of several group and individual projects including an air emissions report, a beach vegetation survey, an osprey conservation video, a spill plan report and training, water quality and inventory reports, and a rare species report. This work included in-depth surveying, GIS map development, and writing. As a student working on these projects, I gained valuable skills that apply to my future career as an Environmental Scientist”
Laurel Klein
NJDMAVA Intern
Click here for more information on environmental quality concentration (B.S. and B.A.). For more information on environmental quality internships please contact Professor Tait Chirenje.
