11:375:201  Biological Principles of Environmental Science

Fall 2007, Index No. 26037

 

Time/Place:    Tue & Thur, 6th period, 5:35-6:55 p.m.

                        Room 223, Environmental & Natural Resource Science (ENR) Building, Cook Campus

 

Instructors:     Donna Fennell,  e-mail: fennell@envsci.rutgers.edu

                        231 Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences Bldg,  phone 2-9800 ext. 6204

                        Office Hours:  drop by any time - at your own risk & by appointment

 

                        Jerry Kukor,  e-mail: kukor@aesop.rutgers.edu

                        216 Martin Hall, phone 2-3000 ext.517

                        Office Hours:  please contact Kristen Lester <lester@aesop.rutgers.edu> or

                                    Phyllis Willence <Willence@aesop.rutgers.edu> to make appointment

 

                        Peter Strom,  e-mail: strom@aesop.rutgers.edu (course coordinator)

                        228 Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences Bldg.,  phone 2-9800 ext. 6216

                        Office Hours:  Tue & Wed 2-3 pm & by appointment

                                    (or drop by any time - at your own risk)

 

Course Assistant:      Jennifer Loudon,  jloudon@aesop.Rutgers.edu

 

Students with a disability: please see us immediately so that we may make any necessary arrangements to support a successful learning experience.

 

Class website:  http://www.envsci.rutgers.edu/~strom/201

 

Resources:

Davis, M.L., & D. A. Cornwell. 1998. Introduction to Environmental Engineering. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, Boston. (assigned pages only)

Hardin, G. 1968. The Tragedy of the Commons. Science 162:1243-1248.

Miller, G.T., Jr. 2007. Living in the Environment, 15th ed. Brooks/Cole – Thomson Learning, Pacific Grove, CA.

Vaccari, D.A., P.F. Strom, & J.E. Alleman. 2006. Environmental Biology for Engineers and Scientists. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (available for purchase at Cook-Douglass Coop Bookstore).

 

Requirements:

1.  Three exams:  Exam 1, 60 pts. (key;   grade distribution); Exam 2, 100 pts.; Exam 3, 80 pts. = 240 pts. total

      Note:  Individual grades are available on SAS Gradebook (https://secure.fas.rutgers.edu/apps/gradebook/).

2.  Problem sets (2):  15 pts. each = 30 pts. total;  Assignment 2, due October 30, 2007; answers.

3.  Commons Game: 20 pts.

4.  Poster presentation & evaluations:  60 pts;  Instructions;  Template.

5.  Class participation:  10 pts.

 

Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is a serious problem at Rutgers and nationwide. This includes cheating on tests and assignments, and plagiarism. This is of particular concern in Environmental Science and Engineering because of the need for integrity in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. Rutgers deals with academic dishonesty in the Code of Student Conduct (http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~polcomp/judaff/ucsc.shtml) and Policy on Academic Integrity for Undergraduate and Graduate Students (http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html); penalties are stern, as is fitting for the seriousness of the offense. This can mean separation from the University even for a first offense.

         While most students understand cheating, many students seem uncertain about plagiarism. Of course, you may not copy anything word for word without putting it in quotes and referencing it. However, it is also plagiarism to report on someone else’s idea without referencing it. These requirements refer to anything from the Internet as well as from printed sources.

Every sentence or paragraph in a paper, poster, or presentation that you write or present will fall into one of three categories: 1) a direct quote from an article (or other source) that you read, which should be used sparingly (if at all), and which must be in quotes and referenced; 2) an idea from an article you read, expressed in your own words, which must be referenced; or 3) your own idea, or very general knowledge (such as the atomic mass of carbon), which need not be referenced.  Often, it is desirable to include a few relevant figures and tables from other sources in your paper or poster or presentation. However, each figure or table caption must include a reference to its source. If you have questions, please ask! This is an important part of learning to be a scientist/engineer.

 

Printing PowerPoint Presentations

 

                                      Tentative Class Schedule

 

Class #

Date (speak.)

Topic

Reading Assignment*

1

9/4 (DF)

Hydrological cycle

V ch.14: 456-457;

M 70-72 & ch.14

2

9/6 (DF)

Hydrologic cycle - video

 

 

 

 

3

9/11 (DF)

Carbon cycle

V ch.13: 389-397, ch.14: 442-456;

M 72-74

4

9/13 (DF)

Nitrogen, sulfur, & phosphorus cycles

(cycles part 2)

V ch.13: 414-428, ch.14: 457-463;

M 74-79

 

 

 

 

5

9/18 (DF)

Environmental contaminants

V ch.13: 397-414;

M ch.22: 533-547

6

9/20 (DF)

Bioaccumulation & biomagnification

 

 

 

 

7

9/25 (PS)

The Commons Game

Hardin

8

9/27 (PS)

Introduction to wastewater

 

 

 

 

 

 

10/2 (PS)

EXAM 1 (classes 1-6)

 

9

10/4 (PS)

Water pollution – public health

V ch.12: 342-364

 

 

 

 

10

10/9 (PS)

Water pollution – indicator organisms

V ch.12: 382-5; ch.11: 305-309

11

10/11 (PS)

Water pollution – stream sanitation

D 35-41; D 288-320;

V ch.15: 530-536

 

 

 

 

12

10/16 (PS)

Overview of wastewater treatment

V ch.16: 577-582

13

10/18 (PS)

Wastewater: a) settling;  b) 2° treatment

V ch.16: 582-633

 

 

 

 

14

10/23 (PS)

Microscope lab – activated sludge

 

15

10/25 (PS)

Sludge management

V ch.16: 633-659

 

 

 

 

16

10/30 (PS)

Potable water

V ch.16: 659-662

17

11/1 (PS)

Disinfection

V ch.16: 662-668

 

 

 

 

18

11/6 (JK)

Video: “The Estrogen Effect”

 

 

11/8

EXAM 2 (classes 8-17)

 

 

 

 

 

19

11/13 (JK)

Notes for Dr. Kukor’s lectures are available

 

20

11/15 (JK)

     at:  http://envsci.rutgers.edu/~kukor/

 

 

 

 

 

21

11/20 (JK)

 

 

 

11/22

Thanksgiving Holiday

 

 

 

 

 

22

11/27 (JK)

 

 

23

11/29 (JK)

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

12/4 (JK)

 

 

 

12/6

Poster Session 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/11

Poster Session 2

 

 

12/19 (Wed)

EXAM 3 (classes 18-24)  -  9:00 am

 

 

* D= Davis & Cornwell 1998; M = Miller 2007; V = Vaccari et al. 2006; ch. = chapter, numbers = pages.