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Detailed Information

Program of Study

The Environmental Resources and Policy (ER&P) Ph.D. degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) provides students with an interdisciplinary education in natural resource and environmental processes, with a perspective on public policy and social institutions that shape societal and individual reactions to environmental issues. Students are prepared to work with multifaceted environmental problems and carry out interdisciplinary scientific research and are qualified for high-level administration positions in academia, government, and the private sector. Graduates are able to address the most compelling and daunting challenge in natural resource and environmental issues–identifying and solving problems that cross disciplinary boundaries.

The Environmental Resources and Policy Ph.D. degree is administered through the Departments of Geography and Environmental Resources, Geology and the College of Agriculture (agribusiness economics, forestry, and plant, soil, and general agriculture). The School of Law and the College of Engineering also cooperate in the program.

The course of study is composed of four interdisciplinary core courses and supplemented with individually designed curricula for each of the six areas of concentration: earth and environmental processes; energy and mineral resources; environmental policy and administration; forestry, agricultural, and rural land resources; geographic information systems and environmental modeling; and water resources. Students typically spend three years in course work and research, with oral and written preliminary examinations at the end of their course work.

Research Facilities

Students in the ER&P Ph.D. program have access to a fully equipped, state-of-the-art geographic information systems/remote sensing laboratory with a full-time supervisor and individual workstations. Cooperating departments have laboratory facilities that are used by various professors in their research.

In addition, the University’s Morris Library has a general collection of 2.6 million volumes, 3.6 million microforms, and more than 36,000 current serial subscriptions. Library users have access to I-Share (the statewide automated system) and to a comprehensive array of databases and other electronic data files.

Financial Aid

Students accepted into the ER&P program are eligible for financial aid on a competitive basis. Students may also be eligible for assistance through grants from research projects or other sources.

Cost of Study

In-state graduate tuition is $328 per credit hour in 2009–10. Out-of-state tuition is 2.5 times the in-state tuition rate ($820 per credit hour). Graduate students with at least a 25 percent appointment as a graduate assistant receive a tuition scholarship. Fees vary from $589.03 (1 credit hour) to $1557.50 (12 credit hours). Students with a graduate assistantship receive a 25 percent reduction in the primary care medical fee.

Living and Housing Costs

For married couples, students with families, and single graduate students, the University has 690 efficiency and one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments that rent for $499 to $720 per month in 2009–10. Residence halls for single graduate students are also available, as are accessible residence hall rooms and apartments for students with disabilities.

Student Group

Southern Illinois University’s 20,600 undergraduate and graduate students come from many states and countries. The ER&P Ph.D. program attracts a large number of international as well as domestic students. Students are given the opportunity to work with a number of faculty members from other cooperating departments in research, teaching, and learning activities.

Location

SIUC is 350 miles south of Chicago and 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. Nestled in rolling hills bordered by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and enhanced by a mild climate, the area has state parks, national forests and wildlife refuges, and large lakes for outdoor recreation. Cultural offerings include theater, opera, concerts, art exhibits, and cinema. Educational facilities for the families of students are excellent.

The University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a comprehensive public university with a variety of general and professional education programs. The University offers bachelor’s and associate degrees, master’s and doctoral degrees, the J.D. degree, and the M.D. degree. The University is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Graduate School has an essential role in the development and coordination of graduate instruction and research programs. The Graduate Council has academic responsibility for determining graduate standards, recommending new graduate programs and research centers, and establishing policies to facilitate the research effort.

Applying

Interested students should apply directly to the ER&P Ph.D. program. Application deadlines vary. The program accepts midyear applications.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Ira Altman, Assistant Professor. Rural growth and development, emerging industries and organizational economics.
• Ken Anderson, Professor. Organic geochemistry.
• Sara Baer, Assistant Professor. Ecosystem, restoration, grassland ecology.
• Jeff Beaulieu, Associate Professor. Environmental modeling and policy, marketing.
• Robert Beck, Emeritus. Law.
• Jason Bond, Associate Professor. Nematology and plant pathology.
• John Burde, Emeritus. Policy and forest recreation.
• Andrew Carver, Associate Professor. Natural resource economics and development, land use planning, GIS/spatial analysis.
• Lizette Chevalier, Associate Professor. Environmental engineering and hydraulics, NAPL transport/remediation and numerical modeling.
• Paul Chugh, Professor. Minerals and residues processing.
• James Conder, Assistant Professor. Seismology, plate-boundary processes-geodynamics and seimotectonics
• John Crelling, Emeritus. Coal geology.
• Ken Diesburg, Assistant Professor. Turfgrass management training, breeding, and research.
• Leslie Duram, Professor and Chair, Geography and Environmental Resources. population and natural resources, rural land use, conservation thought.
• Benedykt Dziegielewski, Professor. Resources analysis and evaluation techniques, water resources planning and management, water conservation.
• Phil Eberle, Associate Professor. Economic efficiency and viability studies of various enterprises and management practices.
• Steven Esling, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Geology. Hydrogeology.
• George Feldhamer, Professor and Director, Environmental Studies Program. Mammalogy, wildlife ecology.
• Eric Ferré, Associate Professor. Structural geology, rock magnetism, remote sensing.
• Richard Fifarek, Associate Professor. Economic geology.
• David Gibson, Professor. Plant population and community ecology, grassland ecology, multivariate methods, exotic and rare species ecology.
• John Groninger, Professor. Silviculture, forest vegetation management.
• Kim Harris, Associate Professor. Agriculture finance and agribusiness management.
• Paul Henry, Associate Professor. Ornamental horticulture.
• Scott Ishman, Associate Professor. Marine micropaleontology.
• Brian Klubek, Professor and Chair. Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems. Soil microbiology.
• John Koropchak, Professor, Vice-Chancellor for Research, and Dean of the Graduate School. Analytical chemistry
• Steven Kraft, Emeritus. Soil and water conservation policy, watershed management and planning, farm policy.
• Christopher Lant, Professor. Water resources management, wetlands and nonpoint source pollution policy, ecological economics.
• Liliana Lefticariu, Assistant Professor. Geochemistry.
• David Lightfoot, Professor. Plant biotechnology and genomics.
• John Mead, Associate Dean, Director. Coal extraction and utilization research.
• Khalid Meksem, Associate Professor. Plant genomics, genetics, and biotechnology.
• Jean Mangun, Emeritus. Human dimensions of natural resource management.
• John Marzolf, Associate Professor. Sedimentology and stratigraphy.
• Patricia McCubbin, Associate Professor. Law.
• Karen Midden, Professor. Landscape design.
• Manoj Mohanty, Professor. Mining and mineral resources engineering.
• Wanki Moon, Associate Professor. Public acceptance of GMOs, health information in food markets natural resources, rural land use, conservation thought.
• John Nicklow, Professor and Associate Dean, College of Engineering. Hydraulic and hydrologic modeling.
• Tonny Oyana, Associate Professor. GIS, GIScience, cartographic and geographic visualization, environmental health and exposure.
• John Phelps, Emeritus. Forest product marketing, wood science.
• Nicholas Pinter, Professor. Environmental geology, fluvial geomorphology.
• John Preece, Professor. Horticulture, propagation, biotechnology.
• Matt Rendleman, Associate Professor. Fuel ethanol, local enterprise impact analysis, Illinois dairy sector.
• Don Rice, Associate Provost. Human ecology.
• Charles Ruffner, Associate Professor. Dendrochronology, ecology and paleoecology.
• John Russin, Professor and Chair, Department of Plant and Soil Science. Plant pathology.
• Dwight Sanders, Associate Professor. Risk management, future contract design, forecasting techniques and evaluation.
• Justin Schoof, Assistant Professor. Climatology, quantitative methods.
• Jon Schoonover, Assistant Professor. Sediment source tracking.
• Silvia Secchi, Assistant Professor. Environmental economics, energy economics, land resource development.
• John Sexton, Professor. Seismology.
• Bradley Taylor, Associate Professor. Fruit crops.
• Matthew Therrell, Assistant Professor. Dendrochonology, paleoclimatology, biogeography, water resources.
• Alan Walters, Associate Professor. Vegetable production.
• Guangxing Wang, Assistant Professor. Remote sensing, spatial statistics, GIS for environment and natural resources.
• Matt Whiles, Professor. Stream ecology, freshwater invertebrates.
• Karl Williard, Associate Professor. Watershed management, forest hydrology, forest biochemistry, riparian zone management, sediment yield.
• Bryan Young, Professor. Weed science.
• Jim Zaczek, Associate Professor. Ecology, biology, physiology, and genetics of trees; oak silviculture; regeneration ecology.

Correspondence and Information

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Environmental Resources and Policy Program
Mail Code 4637
405 West Grand Avenue
Carbondale, Illinois 62901-4637
Telephone: 618-453-7328
Fax: 618-453-7346