The Senior Program

The Senior Program is an integrating, culminating experience that draws on the knowledge and research skills you have developed in the first three years. At its heart is the senior project. The project is a detailed exploration of an environmental topic that culminates in a research paper and oral presentation. The Senior Project should demonstrate competent application of methods and concepts from within the student's selected discipline but may also incorporate methods and concepts of other academic fields reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues. Majors plan and pursue this independent project under the close supervision of a faculty member and the program's advisory committee.

Recent projects in environmental studies include:

• Somali Bantu Food Ways as Former Refugees in Utica, New York
• When Gas is Greener: a State-By-State Comparison of Electric Vehicles, Hybrids, and Gas Powered Cars
• The Effect of Water Body Size on Largemouth Bass Diet
• Finding a Diamond in the Rough: Analyzing the Institutional Differences Between Sierra Leone and  Botswana
• A Cost Analysis of New York Nuclear Power Plant Subsidies and Energy Alternatives
• Analyzing the Impact of Urban Versus Protected Areas on Mangrove Health Through Satellite Imagery
• The Effect of Bird Feeder Cleanliness and Foraging Methods on Songbird Disease Transmission
• Spatial Patterns Associated with Soil Chemistry in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains, New York
• Cohousing: Next Steps for Diversity
• Justice Through Deliberation: Examining Environmental Justice Within a Deliberative Democratic Model
• Renewable Energy and Employment: An Empirical Analysis
• An Evaluation of Bear Canister Effectiveness and Use in the Adirondack Park
• Sustainable Opportunities in Alternative Food Sourcing: Examining the Foodtech Startup Landscape
• Be Here Now: A Re-Imagining of Hamilton's Orientation Program
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of 107 River Street, Oriskany, New York: a Comparison of Past and Current Data Collection Methods
• The Yasuní-ITT Initiative: Ideological and Political Control of Climate Change
• Ecovillages: Redefining Sustainability in Urban Development
• Equity in Domestic Climate Change Planning