Eli Marten (Anthropology and Spanish 2015): As a freshman, I struggled to find classes that I was truly passionate about, but I was lucky enough to find the Environmental Ethics minor on the Marquette course bulletin while searching for new majors and minors during my sophomore year. Just one look at the classes got me hooked, and it offered a unique take on environmentalism that I had never really looked into before, from perspectives in Theology to Sociology to Communications. It was a way to combine many of my interests, and I ended up double majoring in Spanish and Anthropology and double minoring in Biology and Environmental Ethics, which required a lot of time and effort to schedule. My involvement and dedication to the program inspired me to pursue an internship at the Urban Ecology Center as well as focusing my Anthropology capstone project on environmentalism at Marquette. I had always been an environmentalist, but now I can approach environmental issues with a different lens, which of course is the point of having an interdisciplinary minor. I do not think that I would have learned as much about environmental initiatives both at Marquette and in Milwaukee if I had not been introduced to the minor, and it has led me to appreciate my school and city much more than I previously did. The Environmental Ethics minor is an extremely interesting and welcome addition to the Marquette community, and I would highly encourage everyone to pursue it, especially if they are like me and struggled finding a true passion at Marquette.
Andrew Terenzio (Business and Global Ecology 2015): I discovered the INEE program by accident. I wanted a socially oriented business degree that focused on the environment, and, after disappointment qurg the lack of environmental classes in the business school, I stumbled across Dr. Schaefer and the INEE program. While I did not seek the minor, I used much of the same curriculum as the skeleton for my own personalized Interdisciplinary Major in Global Ecology which I was allowed to create within the College of Arts & Sciences.This major made it possible for me to embed the principles of sustainability and the environment into every aspect of my curriculum and allowed me to view courses from Supply Chain to Strategic Management through a sustainability lens. The last requirement of my degree was the INEE Capstone, and it was the most intellectually challenging course of my time at Marquette. It successfully tied together all aspects of my learning from all four years. Now I have begun my career in Corporate Sustainability, and where it will take me is largely due to my time taking an interdisciplinary approach to my interests. I highly recommended this program to many business students and am willing to discuss it with anyone who is considering the minor or creating a major like Global Ecology.
Lydia Bruegge (Business 2011): "I happened to take one of the INEE courses as a non-Business elective and ended up falling in love with the idea of studying about practicing sustainability in order to preserve our environment. After the completion of Plants Pathogens and People, I approached the teacher in hopes that she could advise me about Marquette’s offerings in environmental studies to add to my Commercial Real Estate major. The first thing she suggested was the Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Ethics which I found surprisingly easy to incorporate into my studies. However, little did I know the opportunity this minor would bring me. In the capstone seminar, we built a fully functioning website (www.H2Oscore.com) that promotes water sustainability. Now, a year later, I am currently part of a company (Project H2OScore) that was born in our classroom and run by the same professor. Also, by connections through the same teacher I was able to land an internship working for Rob Watson, the founder of the LEED Green Building Certification System. That internship has brought a plethora of experience in the field of green building that I have been passionate about for quite some time. None of this would have been possible without the INEE minor and the passionate teachers and advisors who are so willing to help you succeed in whatever your interests may be."
Rebecca Goossen (Psychology 2009): "Choosing to complete the Environmental Ethics minor was one of the most important decisions I made during my college years. I was pleased by how easy it was to incorporate the minor into my chosen academic path; the faculty were enthusiastic about their courses and flexible with their schedules, allowing for all students to complete the requirements of the minor. The interdisciplinary nature of the minor encouraged a deep understanding of environmental issues from several different perspectives. My favorite course in the minor was the Capstone Seminar during which four classmates and I studied and compiled a report on the effects of agriculture on climate change. At a time when global environmental issues are most dire and receiving more attention than ever, the world needs people who understand the complexity of the planet and will act as leaders for positive change. The Environmental Ethics minor has prepared me for both of these tasks. For the next year, I will serve in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps-Northwest in Tacoma, Washington, where I will do urban farming for a food bank and facilitate the growth of sustainable food systems among underserved populations. My passion lies in bringing awareness to the convergence of social, environmental, political, and economic issues in the area of food justice; the Environmental Ethics minor coupled with the Jesuit mission of Marquette have truly made me into a “woman for others.”
Nicholas McDaniels (English & Secondary Education 2009): "Participation in the Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Ethics provided me with some of the most fulfilling academic, intellectual, and social experiences of my time at Marquette. Though I have always had a sincere passion for environmental justice, the courses of the minor and the professors who taught them and the supportive and passionate community of students solidified my knowledge and confirmed my passion, helping me decide to pursue environmental justice as part of my life’s work. Because the faculty involved in the minor were so dedicated to the students and flexible with their personal schedules, I was able to complete the minor along with a busy and rigorous academic schedule in my majors, consistently informing and improving my studies in English and Secondary Education, and learning with every class how to improve myself personally so as to better act in congruence with the ways of the natural world. The knowledge I have obtained, the skills I have honed through my studies in the minor, and the passion I have for environmental and social justice have vaulted me into study of Environmental Law at the University of Maryland and work in Environmental Education in Baltimore City. Because of my experiences completing this minor, I now firmly believe in the benefits of an integrated, interdisciplinary, liberal arts education, and I believe wholeheartedly that my study in Environmental Ethics is among the foremost reasons for my academic, professional, and personal success."
Lauren Tikusis (Economics 2006): "I came to Marquette with a strong interest in the environment and knew that I wanted to pursue it further. However, I really had no idea what route I wanted to go. After many hours of searching through the undergrad bulletin, I was impressed with the Environmental Ethics minor and the classes that were offered. Being an Economics major in the Arts and Sciences school, I knew I had a lot of electives and general core classes that I could choose on my own. My decision to start the environmental ethics minor was even easier after I saw how flexible and supportive Dr. Schaefer and Dr. Goldin were. One of the classes of the minor actually conflicted with another course in the minor, so Dr. Schaefer worked with me to get the credit as an independent study. It ended up being a graduate level online course and it was amazing! Dr. Goldin also worked independently with myself and two others to complete another class for the minor. Throughout the minor, I encountered issues that I had always had some knowledge of but had now been able to encounter and interpret them on much different levels. The diverse classes offered were a chance to grasp environmental issues within the realm of philosophy, theology, science, and even economics. These classes were essential to the education that I wanted to receive at Marquette. They have affected my personal and professional life, forcing me to always rethink the decisions I face daily."
Drew Albright (Biology 2006): "Pursuing the Environmental Ethics minor was one of the better decisions I made at Marquette. Dr. Goldin and Dr. Schaefer (co-directors of the minor) are amazing. I certainly would not have completed the minor without their guidance and support. When a course was unavailable, Dr. Goldin held an independent course in his office for me and two other students. Their dedication to their students' success is incredible. Of course, the minor itself is very cool, too. As an interdisciplinary minor, it offers a variety of courses that really did enhance my Marquette Experience and the values I acquired here. Understanding your environment and how you want to interact with it is an integral step towards change. At the same time, realize we're all in this thing together. Understanding views that may conflict with your own is equally as important. I know I will use my own understanding that I developed through the course work of the Environmental Ethics minor as I go forth to serve the world. So, whether you aspire to save the world, or just want a better understanding of the human/nature bond, contact Dr. Goldin or Dr. Schaefer and they will help you make it happen!"
Joe Pedersen (Business 2005): "My participation in Marquette University's interdisciplinary environmental ethics minor was instrumental in exposing me to the ecological conscience that has become increasingly important in today's world. I believe that every person should have an awareness of the ethical necessity for environmental stewardship due to our world's current lack of social responsibility toward the environment. Through effective learning mechanisms such as in-depth class discussions, "broadening" reading material, and a culminating capstone seminar, my post-graduate understanding of current environmental issues is comprehensive and accomplished. Global warming, deforestation, and the overuse of non-renewable resources are just a few of the many ecological issues plaguing our planet. I am confident that, with the knowledge base that I have attained from this minor, I will have the tools necessary to proactively develop solutions to some of our world's most pressing environmental issues."
Chris Petrauskis (Engineering 2004): "I'm a 2004 graduate of Marquette University and proud alum of the Environmental Ethics minor. My entire outlook on the world has been heightened through class discussions on how our interaction with the natural world shapes each and every discipline of study from Philosophy to Economics. Currently living in Lusaka, Zambia where every resident is affected by poverty, deforestation, polluted waters, erosion, climate change, and rising oil prices, the phrase 'environmental crises' suddenly becomes a life and death reality that must be addressed. Realize that true environmentalism is not the rich, white, left-wing fight to protect exclusive wilderness areas but the daily struggle by the poor and oppressed to access basic needs from the earth in a sustainable manner.
Please weave this environmental ethic minor into your schedule, for someday you will realize that lofty concepts such as 'eco-feminism,' 'stewardship,' and 'sustainability' are quite practical and applicable to any profession. Or maybe one-day you will find yourself in Sub-Saharan Africa planting 'vegetable' trees with indigenous women and challenging the Catholic church to become less hierarchical and other-worldly and more inclusive and relevant to life on our finite planet."
Craig Pierce (Business 2004): "Marquette's Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Ethics (INEE) has had a significant impact upon my collegiate and post-graduate experiences. As a business and marketing major, this minor exposed me to a unique and important perspective that I did not find in my other coursework. The INEE minor pulls from several academic fields - philosophy, theology, biology, economics, etc. - to create a well-balanced interdisciplinary approach to an ethical understanding of society's relationship with the environment. Yet, perhaps more importantly, my experiences show that this minor serves as a critical component to my own balanced understanding of the environment and the world. In application, the INEE minor exposed me to several volunteer opportunities in Milwaukee, including the Urban Ecology Center. Although my current employment does not pertain directly to the environment, I am still applying ideas and concepts gathered from this minor."