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The Life Science and Environmental Ethics Honors Track
addresses ethical, political, and social issues in the life science fields
of biology, medicine, and the environmental sciences. Such issues include
the manipulation of genetic material in foods or insect pests or human
embryos, the creation of new medicines and technologies to sustain or even
create life, and the environmental trade-offs that our expanding
population confronts from land use planning and disposal of hazardous
waste to the preservation of natural environments and the protection of
clean air and water. Understanding and working with such issues requires
clear and analytical thinking, an understanding of classical ethical
arguments, and experience in the settings where the decisions are made.
The Life Science and Environmental Ethics Honors Track provides the
relevant training and experience for pursuing these interests. As with the
other tracks of the University Honors Program, the Life Science and
Environmental Ethics Honors Track functions like a minor, offering a
distinctive set of courses that adds breadth to and reinforces a student’s
chosen major.
The track is ideal for:
- Students of any major
- Science students who wish to explore the ethical
issues caused by their scientific knowledge
- Business students who wish to better understand the
ethical dimensions of the technical areas in which they will soon be
working.
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Field trip to
Sandy Hook, NJ
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How does the track operate?
After
completing at least two science courses (by advisement), during the first
two years at William Paterson, the student takes a set of three courses in
the track. These courses expand the student’s understanding of the process
of scientific investigation, expose them to the major ethical systems, and
through the mechanism of the case study, explores the interfaces among
ethics, science and the law. Next, the student completes a one semester
intensive internship with an agency that deals with ethical issues in the
lives of humans, animals, or an aspect of human environmental interaction.
Finally, the student will integrate classroom and practical experience
with scholarship in a senior thesis.
How do I enroll?
For further
information on this track, consult the Program Director, Dr. Karen Swanson,
Department of Environmental Science, 973-720-2589.
-OR-
Complete and return the Honors Life Sciences application (PDF file) to the Honors College offices located in Raubinger Hall Rm 126-129.
About the Program Director:
Karen Swanson received her Ph.D. in Geochemistry and Mineralogy from the Pennsylvania State University in 1988 and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science. She is primarily interested in two areas of inquiry: the behavior of pollutants in natural water systems, and the best ways to teach science at all levels.
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