Environmental Studies Department News Updates

Environmental Studies Professor testifies before Congress on critical minerals

Professor Dustin Mulvaney testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Minerals Subcommittee in September and the Science, Science and Space Committee again in November on the impacts of mining on land and communities, and benefits recycling and a circular economy in critical minerals. He was interviewed about the experience by the SJSU Newsroom. Read more about it in the article above.

Spring 2024 Class Schedule 

The Spring 2024 class schedule is now available on the website. This semester is set to commence on January 22, 2023, with the first day of classes scheduled for January 24, 2023. Should you have any questions regarding your classes or the schedule, please feel free to reach out to our department via email at environmental-studies@sjsu.edu.

ENVS Student Featured in One Day One Action Climate Change Project

SJSU Environmental Studies Major, Roger Bumgarner, was featured in July on the City of San Jose's One Day One Action Climate Change community education campaign. One Day One Action is a socially engaged public art project that reframes how we can all contribute to climate action, one day at a time, now and into the future. Through a collaborative process, hundreds of social media prompts have been developed in support of San José’s Climate Smart sustainability goals.

National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Seminar

The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) will be hosting an upcoming seminar: Grand Rounds: Impacts of Wildfires and the Environmental Public Health Workforce. Seminar Date: Wednesday, 10/04/2023, 1-2 pm in Pacifice Time. 

Fall 2023 Class Schedule 

The Fall 2023 class schedule on the website is available. The 2023-2024 academic year will begin in August 17, 2023 and the first day of class in Fall 2023 semester will be on August 21, 2023. If you have any question about your classes and the schedule, please send email to our department via environmental-studies@sjsu.edu.

ENVS students & faculty at SJSU Celebration of Research

San Jose State University’s Celebration of Research was an event recognizing and highlighting student work, start-up innovation showcases, research competitions, and more. Especially, we're proud of our students and faculty at EnvS who had a chance to represent the department and introduce their scientific research to everyone on campus. 

Article 'Soil Conservation Guide: Importance and Practices' 

Due to the significance of Earth Day and the need to raise awareness about the environmental protection, we would like to share the article 'Soil Conservation Guide: Importance and Practices'. This article will show you what soil conservation is, its benefits to the environment, why it's important, and the soild conservation practices. 

Dr. Cushing's interview with NBC Bay Area

Dr. Cushing explained why 'Wet Winter Makes Dent in California Drought'. According to Dr. Cushing, 'locally...there are three things we need to watch moving forward: precipitation, temperature, and time' and 'a brewing atmospheric river aimed at the Sierra might melt the snowpack faster than anticipated.' 

Dr. Cushing's interview with the Weather Channel

Our Dr. Cushing (Chair of the Environmental Studies Department) recently had an interview with the Weather Channel. Dr. Cushing commented on the flooding situation in the Bay Area after the severe storms and recommended dealing with reservoir management concerns.

27 million under flood alerts across California (NBC Nightly News)

Our Dr. Cushing was interviewed by NBC Nightly News about the recent storms and flooding period across the state of California. This news showed how urgent and significant the storming and flooding situation was. The state of California had to start the evacuations in many different cities, especially cities of Santa Cruz county. 

2022-2023 Campus Reading Program Book Selection

"All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis" is SJSU's Campus Reading book for the fall 2022 incoming class of first-year students. All We Can Save is a collection of essays, poetry, and art that serves as “both a balm and a guide for knowing and holding what has been done to the world, while summoning truth, courage, and solutions, to turn away from the brink and toward life-giving possibility.”

Great news! SJSU Environmental Studies is officially nominated by Best Accredited Colleges in 2022

Best Accredited Colleges have nominated SJSU Environmental Studies as #7 in Best Bachelor's Degrees in Environmental Science. SJSU Global Studies is also #28 on the Best International Studies Bachelor's Degrees. 

What to know: Yosemite fire threatens sequoia grove, some of Earth’s oldest, biggest trees

Professors Craig Clements and Will Russell were interviewed for the story about the Washburn fire in Yosemite and the iconic sequoia trees that it threatens 

ENVS Alum Richard Tejeda receives the Bay Nature Community Hero Award

What a day! Richard Tejeda feels incredibly honored to share his Bay Nature Community Hero Award with you! Please give him a shout out and consider giving to our organization that since 2019 has taken 1,847 community members on guided educational hikes, provided virtual nature experiences for 3,563 people living with disability or isolated by the pandemic, led 326 seniors on hikes for health, as well as inspired 754 at-promise-youth through our Summer Science Project and Alive Outside Adventure Series.

Wildfire Research, Community Clinic Included in $1.5 Trillion Federal Spending Plan

Amanda Stasiewicz, an assistant professor in Environmental Studies, is co-director for the Wildfire Center. SJSU’s Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC) will receive $1.2 million to support cutting-edge fire modeling and prediction technology. Another $500,000 will support the launch of the university’s newly established Healthy Development Community Clinic (HDCC), which will soon provide various wellness services to East San José community members.

California Today's interview with Prof. Rachel O'Malley 

Sunnyvale residents use lasers to scare off local crows. Watch Prof. Rachel O'Malley in California Today explaining why the influx of ravens and crows could possibly affect the other surrounding environments close to Sunnyvale.

Fake poop helps evicted owls settle into new neighborhood

Professor Lynne Trulio commented on transplanted burrowing owls in an Associated Press story where scientists are using fake poop to help evicted owls settle into a new neighborhood.

Environmental Studies Professor Dustin Mulvaney quoted in the LATimes

There’s no comparison between those problems and the destruction wrought by fossil fuels, said Dustin Mulvaney, an environmental studies professor at San Jose State. Much of his research deals with the challenges posed by clean energy development, including solar panel supply chains and land-use conflicts. But the Huntington Beach oil spill, Mulvaney noted, is the type of “catastrophic accident” that you’d never see at a solar or wind farm.