Global concerns about resource availability, natural disaster impacts, environmental change and sustainable development have propelled Environmental Earth Science to the forefront in the 21st century. Employment in the field is projected to grow faster than average from 2016-26 — between 10-14 percent. Environmental Earth Science (EES) is an interdisciplinary field of study that combines pure and applied science with modern technologies and research methods.
Why Study Environmental Earth Science at Eastern?
The Environmental Earth Science (EES) major provides a broad-based education in environmental earth science with a strong foundation in geoscience. The curriculum stresses the materials, processes, and features of the earth, and the ways in which earth scientists address environmental problems. The student selects one of two possible concentrations to follow, which have the same common core and capstone course. Courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computing are integrated into the major to provide the diverse background necessary for analyzing environmental problems.
Concentrations
Environmental Earth Science (EES) students at Eastern receive a broad education in environmental earth science with a strong foundation in geoscience, using classroom, laboratory and field-based learning. The curriculum stresses the materials, processes, and features of the Earth, Earth history and the ways in which earth scientists address scientific, societal and environmental problems.
Environmental Earth Science (EES) students at Eastern receive a broad education in environmental earth science with a strong foundation in geoscience, using classroom, laboratory and field-based learning. The curriculum stresses the materials, processes, and features of the Earth, Earth history and the ways in which earth scientists address scientific, societal and environmental problems.
Students have laboratory experiences in Sedimentology, Geomorphology, Petrology, Structural Geology, Field Methods, Hydrology, GIS and Sustainable Energy, and present their findings at local, regional and national research conferences.
Internships
Eastern’s Institute for Sustainable Energy offers credit and paid internships for Environmental Earth Science students. Other internship opportunities are available through Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and regional geo-environmental firms.
Field Trips
The EES Department frequently offers field trips to locations such as Iceland, Arizona and Wyoming/Idaho.
Call for Applications: Social Media Internship in Environmental Earth Science
Are you passionate about EES and skilled in social media? We are excited to announce an opportunity for a fall semester internship focused on enhancing our department online presence.
Internship Overview: As a social media intern, you will play a crucial role in promoting awareness and engagement surrounding the department and more broadly environmental earth science topics. Your creativity and communication skills will help us connect with a broader audience, share impactful research, and inspire action toward sustainability.
Key Responsibilities: Develop and curate engaging content for our social media platforms (Instagram).
Assist in creating visual materials, including graphics and videos, that effectively communicate scientific concepts.
Collaborate with faculty and fellow students to brainstorm and implement innovative outreach strategies.
The goal will be to create one to two posts per week highlighting/recapping department events, interesting news events that focus on EES or upcoming department events.
Weekly meeting with Professor Oakley to review documents and planned posts.
While we are seeking one student, I would consider two students working collaboratively.
Qualifications: Current student in Environmental Earth Science who is strongly engaged in department events.
Junior to Senior status preferred, but open to a Sophomore
Preference given to students who have not completed another research experience of internship
Strong writing and communication skills.
Familiarity with social media platforms and content creation tools.
A passion for EES! GPA >3.0 preferred.
Application Process: To apply, submit (via email to Oakley) 1. A brief statement of interest outlining your motivation 2. A sample social media post example you would share
We are thrilled to announce that The College Tour episode featuring Eastern Connecticut State University is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video! This features EES' own Hailey Cocca, and the segment is available in our profile.
Check out the entire episode (Season 14, Episode 7), and not you do not need a paid Prime subscription to view the episode, just an Amazon account!
Produced by Emmy-nominated creators and hosted by The Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, The College Tour brings the stories of 10 Eastern students and alumni to life—offering an inspiring and authentic look at the Warrior experience. The episode covers Eastern’s academics, student life, athletics, residential experience, and more. Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior! https://www.thecollegetour.com/tour-colleges/eastern-connecticut-state-university/
Today marks the first time since 2000 that Zosia Carlquist has not been the EES Department Secretary, as she begins her retirement today. Zosia also supported Physical Sciences and the Honors Program. Besides being the consummate professional, Zosia was the caring, thoughtful and supportive glue that bound EES together, ensuring the faculty and students were supported! We hope to see her back part time this fall as they search for someone to fill this role, (although her shoes will be impossible to fill)! Everyone in EES wishes her warm winds and following seas in her retirement!
Some more photos from commencement, Dr. Cunningham had a better angle at the stage! (also including some shots with tough lighting backstage around the XL Center renovations)
Peter Drzewiecki, Hunter Piscatelli, and James Bragg Phillips spent four days in the Catskill Mountain foothills (New York) with Dr. Charles Ver Straeten (Chuck) from the New York State Museum examining Middle Devonian environments to better understand the climate at that time. This time was one that saw vertebrates invade the land, the evolution of the first forests, and the development of the modern terrestrial carbon biogeochemical cycle. Highlights included finding skeletal plates of extinct armored fish called placoderms, and walking on the oldest forests floor in the world as revealed by root fossils. @whyeastern @easternctstateuniv #undergraduateresearch
Congrats everyone in the class of 2025, including those of you who didn’t attend commencement. Good luck in your next adventures! (And sorry if I missed you!)
“One of my ongoing research projects is to understand the climate and environments of the Jurassic rocks in the Connecticut Valley, which were deposited at the time dinosaurs roamed the planet.”
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Bryan A. Oakley
Professor and Department Chair
“Taking students into the field and showing them how to conduct research, collect and analyze data and then present the data at a research conference is a super rewarding experience.”
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Career Options
Students who pursue undergraduate degrees in Environmental Earth Science can have rewarding and successful careers in a variety of professional fields, including:
Energy Specialist
Environmental Scientist, Consultant, Technician
Geologist
Geo-Environmental Technician
Geological or Environmental Engineer
GIS Analyst
Hazardous Waste Scientist
Hydrogeologist
Land/Marine Surveyor
Physical Science Educator
Resources Exploration Geoscientist
Successful Alumni
Recent Eastern students who earned a bachelor’s degree or a minor in Environmental Earth Science are at the following companies and professional/graduate schools:
Geo-Environmental Firms (e.g. Fuss & O’Neill)
Energy and Consulting Firms (e.g. Eversource)
U.S. Geological Survey
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
University of Vermont
University of Wyoming
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Kansas
For more information contact
William Dickson Cunningham Professor of Environmental Earth Science cunninghamw@easternct.edu (860) 465-4321
From a snowstorm at the Grand Canyon to a climb up an active volcano, environmental earth science (EES) students at Eastern Connecticut State University experienced the natural wonders of Arizona during a global field course (GFC) from March 14-26.
Dickson Cunningham, professor of environmental earth science, has spent nearly 40 years investigating changes in the Earth's crust, main in Central Asia, and how mountains form.
Two students from the Department of Environmental Earth Science (EES) at Eastern Connecticut State University joined Professor Peter Drzewiecki on a nine-day trip in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain to examine the development of the area’s geological features in late May.
Environmental Earth Science major Laura Markley ’15 earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Syracuse University and now works there in the Center for Sustainable Community Solutions. Her research focuses on the life cycle and environmental impact of plastics. “What I most appreciate about Eastern are the relationships I developed with professors. They allowed me to find my niche and learn what I really enjoy doing.”
Environmental Earth Science
Matthew Gonsalves ’14
“Taking a variety of different courses in the liberal arts, along with applied learning opportunities and independent studies, led me to becoming an environmental consultant today, conducting environmental assessments in conjunction with private, commercial and municipal clients. In my spare time, I design board games with my wife and former roommates. We hope to market the games to the public in the near future.”
Environmental Earth Science
Cody Lorentson ’14
Cody is a sustainability data manager at Mondelez International. “Two of the greatest strengths of Eastern’s EES department are the opportunity to complete independent studies and the faculty’s dedication to student growth. By the end of my four years, I developed personal and professional skills that have allowed me to excel in postgraduate endeavors.”
MPA candidate
Melody Ochoa ’23
“I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs with a concentration in Environmental Policy. My experience in the Economics Department has given me a versatile background on topics ranging from environmental economics to human resource management. The liberal arts core taught me a lot about my interests and allowed me to explore career topics I didn’t even know were accessible to me.”
Environmental Earth Science
Alex Fazzino ’18
Alex is a GIS analyst for Verdantas, an environmental consultant. After Eastern, he earned his MS in Spatial Data Science at Penn State. “Based on what I do at work, Eastern’s EES program did a great job of choosing our required courseload. What excites me about working in this field is the ability to clean up the environment and make our world a little greener.”
Environmental Earth Science
Jacklyn Olivieri ’17
Jackie is an environmental scientist for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. She is responsible for investigating complaints and suspected violations of environmental laws and regulations. “I realized that understanding how things work and how to put them to use to make a difference for the environment and the world is my passion and why I ended up with a STEM career.”
Environmental Earth Science
Jack Cerra ’21
An environmental technician at Atlas, Jack presented at the New England Estuarine Research Society as an Eastern student; his research evaluated bluff erosion along the shoreline of Block Island, RI. Speaking of his liberal arts education, he said, “Being exposed to a little bit of everything has helped me to become a more well-rounded person and enabled me to look at things from different perspectives.”
Hydrologic Modeling
Timothy Bugden ’14
Environmental Earth Science major Timothy Bugden earned his M.S. in hydrology at the University of Connecticut and works as a CAD draftsman at OneEarth Environmental. “Eastern was nothing short of extraordinary. I flourished under the instruction of exceptionally motivated professors and enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow EES students. I shudder to think of the opportunities I would have missed had I not enrolled at Eastern.”
Sustainable Development
Nicholas Denegre ’14
Environmental Earth Science Nicholas Denegre is studying sustainable development as a graduate student at the University of Graz in Austria. Upon graduating from Eastern, he worked as a system analyst at Greenskies Renewable Energy. “Eastern’s EES program prepared me for the environmental sciences field with a rigorous education and many undergraduate research opportunities. It without a doubt catapulted my career.”
Fisheries Biologist
Corey Pelletier ’12
Environmental Earth Science major Corey Pelletier is a fisheries biologist for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. “Eastern provided me not only with the knowledge base to understand our environment and natural processes, but also a working knowledge applicable to the natural resources field.”
Eversource
Nick Jones ’12
Environmental Earth Science major Nick Jones works at Eversource Energy as the Energy Efficiency Program Lead of Residential New Construction. He works with builders, designers and governmental organizations to advance high-performance building practices and technologies. “The passion of the professors and administration at Eastern is something that students take with them long after they graduate.”
Sustainability
Melody Ochoa ’23
Melody completed an internship on campus at Eastern’s Institute for Sustainability, focusing on composting. She worked on a number of initiatives, including creating a group of students on campus who were passionate about composting and food waste. “Every other Thursday we would collect compost and bring it to a location off campus. We are promoting town wellness and community.”
Staff Scientist
Jennifer Croteau ’19
Environmental Earth Science major Jennifer Croteau ’19 is a staff scientist at INSPIRE Environmental, an environmental consulting company based in Newport, RI. “The EES program prepares students for the professional and academic worlds. I was provided with many opportunities to conduct independent research and present at conferences. These opportunities helped me get a jumpstart on building a professional network while still in school, learn and use field techniques outside of a classroom setting and build my resume.”
