Science and Global Change
Using science to understand and respond to the global climate crisis
Introduction
Global climate change, biodiversity crises and similar phenomena already impact our lives and will increasingly do so in the future.
Science and Global Change (SGC) uses scientific practice to explore global climate change and its impacts on human society, technology and security. Exploring the interactions of the Earth's systems, students examine:
- The nature of science, critical thinking and the interaction of scientific knowledge and the public;
- The causes and implications of global climate change and biodiversity changes across the span of time; and
- The means by which we can build a more resilient society to survive and reduce the impacts of these changes.
SGC prepares students to understand the changing conditions of the future and fosters critical thinking about the world around us. Students of all majors will benefit from an understanding of how science works, how the physical and biological environment is changing, and what our options are to build a more resilient society.
Colloquium and Lecture Topics
- A look at logical fallacies
- Science vs. Pseudoscience
- Why climates change, and how we know that is (partially) our fault
- The value of the biosphere
- Who pays for science?
Other Learning Opportunities
Students in SGC will observe evidence of global climate change both in class and through multiple learning opportunities outside the classroom. Past excursions have included:
- Travel to New York City and the American Museum of Natural History;
- Exploring the Smithsonian Museums;
- Visiting the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the Horn Point Laboratory; and
- Volunteering at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
As part of the sophomore practicum, students will learn from and work closely with researchers, educators and practitioners of any STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine) field. Students have:
- Held internships in various labs at the National Institutes of Health, NASA and the Smithsonian Institution;
- Helped to construct wind turbines for communities in the Andes; and
- Developed educational experiences for the Annapolis Maritime Museum.
Curriculum Overview
Over the two-year program experience (four semesters), students will complete 9 credits of supporting courses that will count toward their SGC Scholars citation. In most cases, these will also fulfill General Education requirements. Note that your Scholars courses—colloquium, practicum and supporting course(s)—will generally be in addition to any courses you take to satisfy major requirements.
The following table represents a typical two-year curriculum, but individual schedules may vary. Details about courses and requirements can be found on the SGC Citation Checklist.
| SEMESTER | COURSES | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | CPSG 100: Colloquium I | 1 credit |
| Semester 2 | CPSG 101: Colloquium II | 1 credit |
| Semester 3 | CPSG 200: Colloquium III | 1 credit |
| Semester 4 | CPSG 230: Internship; or CPSG 240: Service Learning or CPSG 250: Research; or CPSP 359G: Advanced Research (DSSP); or CPSP 359S: Discovery Research (DSSP) |
1-3 credits 1-3 credits 1-3 credits 1-3 credits 1-3 credits |
| Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 | Citizenship and Diverse Perspectives (CDP) Course (DVCC 3 or DVUP) | 3 credits |
| Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 | Supporting Course A (var. Gen Ed) Supporting Course B (var. Gen Ed) Supporting Course C (var. Gen Ed) |
3 credits 3 credits 3 credits |
Sponsoring College
Office Address
1216 Centreville Hall
Office Phone
Faculty
News and Notes, Etc.
Science and Global Change News
A Terp Fossil Hunt, Just Down the Street
Liam Driver ’27 shouted in excitement as he picked up a shard of rock out of orange clay and ironstone on an exposed gray hillside.As his classmates gathered around him, he held out his hand, revealing a sliver of bone in the center of his palm. “That blueish part is what gave it away” as a fossil, he said.It might have been part of a now-extinct species of lungfish 115 million years ago that, per its name, could also breathe outside of the water. It’s one of many animals and plants that once thrived in a lush early Cretaceous waterway that’s now an unassuming excavation site, tucked away at the end of a long drive of warehouses and office buildings in Laurel, Md.
Scholars Emerge as Finalists for Maryland Medallion Society Awards
The Maryland Medallion Society is a community of students who have shown exceptional leadership and integrity. These students are also the finalists for the University’s top two prestigious awards: the University of Maryland Model Citizenship Prize and the Wilson H. Elkins Award.This year, several College Park Scholars alumni were finalists for the top two awards – Jhennifer Celestino Alva (Global Public Health), Lily Fleischmann (Public Leadership), Sarang Han (Science and Global Change), Erika Holdren (International Studies), Abigail Manga (Public Leadership), and Kaitlyn Zhou (Public Leadership).
Scholars Honor Citation and Founders Circle Award Winners at Annual Ceremony
College Park Scholars, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the program's founding, honored the best and the brightest of its most recent Citation class at its most recent Citation and Awards ceremony. This tenacious class, filled with future changemakers and leaders, pushed through a challenging start to college that began during the pandemic to emerge as standouts in the classroom, in their communities, and at the University of Maryland.
Researchers Solve Mystery of ‘Dinky’ Dinosaur’s Unusually Long Stride
The tiny, two-toed fossil footprints made by an unidentified dinosaur species some 100 million years ago and preserved in a slab of rock in South Korea are thought to have been made by a raptor no bigger than a modern sparrow. What stumped paleontologists was the animal’s enormous stride; the unknown raptor’s footprints had larger gaps between them than expected for such a diminutive dinosaur.“This guy is dinky—one of the smallest dinosaurs that we have fossils of,” said University of Maryland paleontologist and Science and Global Change program director Thomas R. Holtz Jr.
Fourteen Scholars Named Class of 2024 Senior Marshals
Senior Marshals are graduating seniors who have demonstrated the highest levels of scholarship, service to the campus community, extracurricular involvement, and personal growth. The University of Maryland Senior Marshals represent graduating seniors who have demonstrated the highest levels of scholarship, service to the campus community, extracurricular involvement, and personal growth.
Two Scholars Named 2024 Patty Grace Smith Fellows
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship recently announced the selection of 29 students to participate in its award-winning program that connects the United States’ leading aerospace companies with talented Black students.The Class of 2024 Fellows hail from 17 colleges and universities spread across 13 states and Puerto Rico. Each Fellow has earned a challenging summer aerospace internship, as well as a scholarship worth thousands of dollars, a pair of personalized mentors, and more.Two College Park Scholars were named recipients of the 2024 Fellowship: