Columbia is extending its campus westward, launching new educational programs in earth and environmental sciences at Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Ariz.

Two new undergraduate programs--a summer field course beginning this May and an "Earth Semester" starting next fall--will immerse students in multidisciplinary studies and field techniques. The courses are designed to foster understanding of the Earth as a complex system in which geological, chemical, biological and human factors all interact to create and affect our environment.

Living on the Biosphere 2 campus, students will study with Columbia faculty. They will explore global change research now under way in Biosphere 2, the 3.15-acre facility that encloses a collection of diverse ecosystems, from rain forest to desert. They will also take field trips to sites of geological and ecological interest, including Meteor Crater, the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran Desert.

"Biosphere 2 is a unique metaphor for the complex system that is the Earth," said Debra Colodner, associate research scientist at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and director of educational programs at Biosphere 2. "The new courses are designed to provide essential environmental knowledge for future decision-makers, who will have to manage the planet in an era when rising human population and industrialization are putting increasing stress on Earth systems."

Starting in mid-May, Columbia will offer a six-week Field Course in Earth and Environmental Science that will give students practical experience in modern field techniques used in earth and environmental research. Students will use geological, geochemical, geophysical and ecological mapping and sampling techniques, including Total Station mapping, Geographic Information Systems, ground-penetrating radar, seismic surveying, electromagnetic surveying, water quality analyses and biological surveying. Students completing the course will earn six Columbia undergraduate credits.

Tuition for the summer course is $4,000; room and board costs are $1,680. Financial aid is available for eligible applicants. Undergraduates, beginning graduate students and adult learners may apply. Requirements are introductory geology or environmental science and basic chemistry, or permission of the instructor. The application deadline is Apr. 30, 1996.

Beginning in September, Columbia will offer the Earth Semester, a 16-credit "semester abroad" at Biosphere 2 to understand the Earth from the perspective of a variety of disciplines. Studying with earth scientists, biologists, anthropologists, economists and political scientists, students will receive a multi-faceted view of the natural world and of human society as an agent of environmental change.

Students will choose from a roster of courses that includes: The Design and Maintenance of a Habitable Planet, The Earth's Climate, Comparative Ecosystem Studies, New World Archaeology, Environmental Economics, International Politics and the Environment, Desert Ecosystems and Plant Physiology. The courses will be linked by a Seminar in Global Environmental Systems, an intensive exploration of critical issues in environmental change such as global warming, biodiversity, climate change, natural hazards, ozone depletion, waste disposal, sustainable agriculture, global environmental treaties, climate and health, and research at Biosphere 2.

Tuition for the fall semester is $9,860; room and board costs are $2,500. Financial aid is available for eligible applicants. The deadline is June 31, 1996. For applications or more information contact: Department of Education and Academic Affairs, Biosphere 2 Center Inc., P.O. Box 689, Oracle, Ariz. 85623. Phone: (520) 896-6377; E-mail: edison@bio2.com, World Wide Web: http://www.netspace.org/biosphere2

Columbia University Record -- April 5, 1996 -- Vol. 21, No. 22