Environmental Geology, a new course at Texas A&M International University offered by the College of Science and Technology this spring semester, has been tailored to concerns in the Laredo-South Texas area, and is taught by new faculty member Dr. Marvin E. Bennett III, assistant professor of geology. This is the first time such a course has been available for non-earth and planetary science majors.
This course is a step towards the future, said Dr. Kenneth J. Tobin, director of the Center for Earth and Environmental Studies and associate professor at A&M International.
"Recently, we hired Bennett to teach this class and to help teach other geology classes that will lead to the development of an earth science minor and ultimately a major at A&M International with the support of campus leaders such as Dr. Juan Hinojosa, dean of the College of Science and Technology," said Tobin.
Tobin explained that he and Bennett have worked to ensure that the course includes connections to local concerns and will increase student interest.
"The course has three areas -- geological hazards, resources utilization, and human interactions with the environment. We've been working to put a local spin on the topics in this class. For example, geological hazards such as occasional floods and more chronic droughts plague this area. Resource utilization will focus on the availability of water in this region. We will explore the City of Laredo's possibilities to develop a secondary water supply or a primary water source for the colonias. The human interaction module will focus on issues such as global warming and ozone depletion with the intent of broadening the horizons of our students and sensitizing them to more international issues that face all of us in the 21st century," said Tobin.
"We plan on offering Physical Geology in the fall semester and Environmental Geology in the spring semester on a yearly basis from now on," Tobin continued. "Additionally, we have plans to develop curricula for an Earth Materials class and Geohydrology, which will be especially important to this region."
In addition to the courses, the physical amenities of the College of Science and Technology will increase with $22 million in Tuition Revenue Bonds, which will support the projected cost of Phase IV construction. The cornerstone of Phase IV development will be an impressive Science Building with a planetarium.
For more information about the new Environmental Geology course or the Center for Earth and Environmental Studies, please contact Tobin at 326-2496, visit offices in C Building, room 210, or e-mail ktobin@tamiu.edu.