Environmental Science Department

Why Study Environmental Science at UNC Asheville?

Earn a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina Asheville and develop the knowledge and skills to address today’s most pressing environmental challenges. Grounded in interdisciplinary coursework across the natural and social sciences, this program prepares students for careers in environmental consulting, conservation, sustainability, public policy, and graduate study. Students can also explore environmental minors or take individual courses to enhance other areas of study. With hands-on learning, and research opportunities, UNC Asheville’s Environmental Science program equips students to make a meaningful impact in a rapidly changing world.

Explore Programs
Concentrations
Careers & Outcomes
Undergraduate Research
Scholarships
Department Faculty

Environmental Science Department Programs

Environmental Science

B.S. Minor

By earning your Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at UNC Asheville, you’ll join a community of students and faculty who are committed to environmental education and sustainability. Through the environmental science major, you’ll be well-equipped to pursue a variety of careers in environmental sustainability, conservation, policy, and more.

Environmental Science Concentrations

Choose Your Path to Success

Building on a core foundation in environmental science, UNC Asheville students can choose from several concentrations to align their studies with their specific interests and career goals. These options include Ecology, Environmental Management and Policy, Geoscience, and Earth Science with Teacher Licensure, as well as an Individual Concentration that allows students to design a path tailored to their unique aspirations. Each concentration features a focused set of courses that prepares students for the complex work they’ll do in the field—whether that’s conducting ecological research, shaping environmental policy, analyzing earth systems, or teaching the next generation of scientists.

Explore Concentrations

Careers & Outcomes

Graduates of UNC Asheville’s Environmental Science program enter a rapidly growing field where their expertise is in high demand across sectors, including environmental consulting, resource management, education, policy, and nonprofit advocacy. Students gain marketable skills through immersive fieldwork, applied research, and career-focused courses, while building professional networks through collaborations with local, regional, and national organizations. The program empowers future professionals to address complex environmental challenges with knowledge, creativity, and purpose.

Explore Career Paths in Environmental Science

Undergraduate Research

Gain hands-on experience by pursuing a research question and area of study that you design. As an undergraduate, you’ll have the opportunity to conduct original research that deepens your understanding of the world while honing your analytical and critical thinking skills. This rigorous, independent work culminates in a scholarly or creative product—something you can present or publish on campus, at conferences, or beyond.

Learn More about Undergraduate Research

Scholarships

The Environmental Science Department offers a variety of merit- and need-based scholarships to support declared majors at both the incoming and continuing student levels. These awards recognize academic achievement and financial need while fostering a supportive environment for students pursuing studies in sustainability, conservation, policy, and related fields.

View Scholarships

My advice to current UNCA ENVR students is to not rule any opportunity out. Even if it doesn’t seem to be a direct route to where you want to be, something may present itself that ultimately leads you to something great. Try different things, like undergrad research and internships that challenge you and give you real, useful skills, and know your worth when pursuing jobs after graduation.

T. Blake Hudson ‘23

Environmental Science Department Faculty

UNC Asheville environmental science faculty members are experts in a wide range of environmental fields, including ecology, conservation biology, geology, hydrology, environmental policy, and environmental justice. Our faculty are dedicated to providing students with the tools they need to succeed in their academic and professional careers.

David Gillette

Professor and Chair of Environmental Science

Office: 155 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 251-6366
Email: dgillett@unca.edu

Ashley Case

Lecturer of Environmental Science; CTL Faculty Fellow 2025-27

Office: 137 Rhoades/Robinson Hall, CPO 2330
Phone: 232-5182
Email: acase1@unca.edu

Office Hours:

Monday 11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Thursday 11:20 am – 12:20 pm

Jann Goetzmann

Administrative Assistant

Office: 137 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 251-6441
Email: jgoetzm1@unca.edu

Jake Hagedorn

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

Office: 160 Rhoades/Robinson
Phone: 232-5183
Email: jghagedo@unca.edu

Casey King

Lecturer of Environmental Science, Director of Sustainability

Office: 006 Karpen Hall
Phone: (828) 350-4556
Email: cking10@unca.edu

Dr. King teaches geology and environmental science courses. Her current research investigates science-based environmental management, and focuses on the emergence of Ecosystems-Based Fisheries Management for New England’s marine fisheries. She is interested in systems thinking to assess and address issues of uncertainty and complexity in socioecological systems.

Education

B.A. University of California at Santa Barbara, Geophysics
M.S. University of Montana, Geology
Ph.D. The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Courses Taught

ENVR 130 Intro to Environmental Science
ENVR 105L Lab for Physical Geology
ENVR 373 The World in a Grain of Sand
HUM 414 Critical Perspectives on Contemporaneity

Professional Interests

Earth Systems Science (including geology and geophysics)
Socioecological Systems
Environmental Governance
Political Ecology
Science Studies

Recent Presentations

King, Catherine, 2022, The Performativity of New England’s Groundfish Fishery as Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Practices Emerge, American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, Online Conference
King, Catherine, 2021, Who’s to Blame?: The Multiplicity of New England’s Groundfish Crisis, American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, Online Conference
King, Catherine, 2020, Performing Crisis and Intervention in Fisheries Management: Matters of Failure and Success in New England’s Groundfish Fishery, American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, Denver, CO
King, Catherine, 2018, Ethnographies of Environmental Management: Emergence of an Ecosystems-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Intervention in New England’s Marine Fisheries, American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA
King, Catherine, 2017, The Emergence of Ecosystems-based Fisheries Management in New England: Something New or Business as Usual?, American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, Boston, MA
King, Catherine, 2017, Constructing Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management in New England, The Seventh Annual Dimensions of Political Ecology Conference, Lexington, KY

Jackie Langille

Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Office: 156 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 251-6453
Email: jlangill@unca.edu

Andrew Laughlin

Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Office: 161 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone:
Email: alaughli@unca.edu

Brittani McNamee

Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Office: 140 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone:
Email: bmcnamee@unca.edu

Irene Rossell

Professor of Environmental Science, Mountain South Professor

Office: 154 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 232-5185
Email: irossell@unca.edu

Landon Ward

Senior Lecturer of Environmental Science

Office: 137 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 350-4558
Email: lward@unca.edu

Jeffrey Wilcox

Professor of Environmental Science

Office: 159 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 232-5184
Email: jwilcox@unca.edu

Edward Schwartzman

Lecturer of Environmental Science

137-C Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: (828) 251-6654
Email: eschwar1@unca.edu

Ready for What's Next?

By earning your Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at UNC Asheville, you’ll join a community of students and faculty who are committed to environmental education and sustainability. Through the environmental science major, you’ll be well-equipped to pursue a variety of careers in environmental sustainability, conservation, policy, and more.

Admission & Aid Request Information Apply Now