University of Toronto School of the Environment

{{Infobox university

| name = School of the Environment

| image_name =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| established = {{Start date|2012}}

| type = Academic department

| parent = Faculty of Arts and Science
University of Toronto

| city = Toronto

| province = Ontario

| country = Canada

| coor =

| director = Steve M. Easterbrook

| academic_staff = 18

| administrative_staff = 7

| students =

| undergrad = 854

| postgrad = 268

| doctoral =

| alumni =

| campus = Urban

| affiliations =

| website = {{URL|environment.utoronto.ca}}

}}

The School of the Environment at the University of Toronto is a trans-disciplinary academic unit that acts as a hub for the study of the environment, sustainability and climate change, offering undergraduate and graduate programs, along with joint programs with many disciplinary departments across the University. According to Maclean's Magazine, the School ranks second for environmental science programs in Canada.{{cite news |title=Canada’s best university environmental science programs: 2021 rankings |url=https://www.macleans.ca/education/canadas-best-university-environmental-science-programs-2021-rankings/ |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=Maclean's Magazine |date=Oct 8, 2020}} The School's research focusses on knowledge mobilization on a range of environmental issues, addressing questions of how to integrate scientific knowledge with local, community-based, and Indigenous knowledge to address global environmental crises such as Climate Change.{{cite news |last1=Ogilvie |first1=Megan |title=Undeniable: Canada's Changing Climate |url=https://projects.thestar.com/climate-change-canada/what-you-can-do/#chapter-1 |access-date=23 June 2021 |publisher=The Toronto Star |date=July 12, 2019}} The School is also home to many activist student groups advocating for environmental action.{{cite news |last1=Gram |first1=Sydney |title=A field guide to environmental justice groups at UofT |url=https://thestrand.ca/a-field-guide-to-environmental-justice-groups-at-uoft/ |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=The Strand |date=Aug 18, 2020}}

History

The current School of the Environment traces its history to three institutes at the University of Toronto. In 1959, the Great Lakes Institute was founded by Prof George Burwash Langford to study the impacts of pollution on the Great Lakes,{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Robert Thomas |title=A New Look at the Great Lakes |url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1961/11/4/a-new-look-at-the-great-lakes |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=Maclean's Magazine |date=Nov 4, 1961}} and the geologist Roger E. Deane served as its first director.{{cite journal |title=Obituary for Roy Eric Deane |journal=The Polar Record |date=1966 |volume=13 |issue=83 |pages=215–220 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/5E5FC17055DFCBC1BD37DD9C8F092E42/S0032247400057107a.pdf/obituary.pdf}} In 1971, under the directorship of physicist Don Misener, this became the Institute for Environmental Studies,{{cite journal |last1=Nicholls |first1=R. W. |title=In Memoriam: Austin Donald Misener |journal=Physics in Canada |date=1996 |volume=52 |issue=4 |page=147 |url=https://pic-pac.cap.ca/static/downloads/7439e5df69099b2722f355cc27d922cf649076bc.pdf |access-date=22 June 2021}} and offered the University's first graduate programs in environmental studies.{{cite web |last1=Leduc |first1=Timothy B |title=The Fallacy of Environmental Studies? Critiques of Canadian interdisciplinary programs |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+fallacy+of+environmental+studies%3F+Critiques+of+Canadian...-a0259009683 |website=The Free Library |publisher=Environments |access-date=17 June 2021}} For many years, the Institute operated a field station at Baie Du Doré on the shores of Lake Huron, and a research ship, the HCMS Porte Dauphine. Independently, Innis College established an undergraduate Environmental Studies program in 1978, with courses taught by environmental activists such as NDP Leader Jack Layton and Ontario's first Environmental Commissioner, Eva Ligeti. A third unit, the undergraduate Division of the Environment was established in 1991 by the Faculty of Arts and Science, to administer degree programs in environmental studies.

In 2005, all three units were merged to form the Centre for Environment (CfE), under the directorship of the environmental philosopher Prof Ingrid Stefanovic. The Centre was then renamed as the School of the Environment in 2012.{{cite web |title=History of the School |url=https://www.environment.utoronto.ca/about-us/our-department/history |website=School of the Environment |access-date=20 June 2021}} The inaugural director of the School was the atmospheric physicist, Professor Kim Strong.{{cite news |title=Atmospheric physicist named inaugural director of University of Toronto's new School of the Environment |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/atmospheric-physicist-named-inaugural-director-of-university-of-torontos-new-school-of-the-environment-511841311.html |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=Newswire |date=Jan 15, 2013}}

Academics

=Undergraduate programs=

The School offers major and minor programs in both Environmental Studies and Environmental Science,{{cite web |title=School of the Environment |url=https://artsci.calendar.utoronto.ca/section/School-of-the-Environment |website=Faculty of Arts and Science Academic Calendar |access-date=17 June 2021}} as well as a range of interdisciplinary minor programs to be taken in conjunction with other majors across the Faculty of Arts and Science. It also offers a Certificate in Sustainability.{{cite news |last1=Vitello |first1=Connie |title=University of Toronto’s New Certificate of Sustainability |url=https://environmentjournal.ca/university-of-torontos-new-certificate-of-sustainability/ |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=Environment Journal |date=March 12, 2021}}

=Graduate programs=

The School offers two collaborative specialization programs, in Environmental Studies and in Environment and Health. These can be taken by graduate students enrolled in any program at the University of Toronto. In 2021, the School launched a 12-month thesis-based Masters of Environment and Sustainability.{{cite web |title=School of the Environment |url=https://sgs.calendar.utoronto.ca/degree/Environment |website=University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies |access-date=17 June 2021}}

=Faculty=

The School's 18 faculty members mainly hold joint appointments with a variety of discipline-based departments at the University of Toronto, spanning the physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities.{{cite web |title=School Faculty |url=https://www.environment.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty?sort_by=ppl_last_name_value&items_per_page=20&fy_uoft_roles_tid[]=67 |website=School of the Environment |access-date=17 June 2021}} The School also has 141 graduate faculty members who hold appointments in other departments, and contribute to teaching in the School's graduate programs.

Notable faculty include:

=Research=

Research at the School spans a broad range of areas, including using the University campus itself as a Living Lab for sustainability,{{cite news |last1=Lewington |first1=Jennifer |title=Testing grounds for sustainability |url=https://www.corporateknights.com/channels/education/testing-grounds-for-sustainability-16135710/ |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=Corporate Knights |date=Feb 17, 2021}} policies needed to tackle climate change,{{cite news |last1=Arvin |first1=Jariel |title=One weird trick to fix climate change: Close the offshore wealth loophole |url=https://www.vox.com/2021/3/5/22310179/carbon-tax-climate-change-wealth-tax |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=Vox |date=Mar 5, 2021}} the study of persistent toxins in the environment and their impact on human health,{{cite news |last1=Bresge |first1=Adina |title=Is your long-lasting makeup poisoning you and the environment? |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/06/15/news/makeup-toxins-harmful-health-environment |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=National Observer |date=June 15, 2021}} and the role of cycling in urban transportation policy.{{cite web |title=Canadian study shows new Toronto bike lane improved economic activity in the area |url=https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/canadian-study-shows-new-toronto-bike-lane-improved-economic-activity-in-the-area/ |publisher=Canadian Cycling Magazine |access-date=17 June 2021 |date=1 September 2019}}

References

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