THE EUGENE P. ODOM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY

Ecology Building, (706) 542-2968

FAX: (706) 542-4819
Homepage URL: http://www.ecology.uga.edu

Administrative Officers
 John L. Gittleman, B.Sc., D.Phil., Dean
Laurie Fowler, J.D., L.L.M., Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs
James Porter, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

General Information
Known as the Institute of Ecology for many decades as a leader in the study of ecosystems, the Institute merged in 2001 with the School of Environmental Design to form the College of Environment and Design (COE). The Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology was created as separate from COE in 2007 to become the first stand-alone College in the world dedicated to the science and education of ecology.

PURPOSE
Humans have altered virtually all of the Earth’s ecological systems; thus, environmental issues will likely define the key challenges that humans face in the 21st century. Few places are pristine, the need for energy has dramatically increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, the planet’s supply of freshwater has declined, the rate of biodiversity extinction has increased exponentially, and humans have degraded all of Earth’s ecosystems. Scientific analysis of natural systems and their response to anthropogenic change is necessary to meet these challenges. The Odum School of Ecology mission is to foster scientific study of the interrelations of organisms and their environments, educate future generations of ecologists, and advance the science of ecology in society through interdisciplinary studies and outreach. We strive for excellence in 1) conducting innovative basic ecological research, 2) solving environmental problems and understanding the consequences of global change, 3) promoting environmental literacy among students and the public, and 4) initiating interdisciplinary studies of the scientific and societal dimensions of environmental change. The Odum School of Ecology aspires to create an ecology for the future, an institution in which there is the highest scientific activity that reshapes key ecological questions, and a science that explicitly recognizes and incorporates the dominant influence of humans.

FACILITIES
Faculty, Staff and Students in the Odum School of Ecology are housed in five separate buildings: Ecology building, Ecology Annex, River Basin Center, Biological Sciences building, and Miller Plant Sciences building.

The River Basin Center is focused on the application of core ecological science to outreach and policy. Specifically, the Center focuses on the connection between land use and water resources, involving an interdisciplinary team of scientists, planners and lawyers to move from identification of an environmental problem to the development of policy to eliminate or manage the problem. Importantly, the Center involves students in all aspects of work, thus providing the next generation of scientists, environmental lawyers, and citizens an opportunity to work across disciplines in applying classroom knowledge to real world problems.

The Ecology Annex houses the Analytical Chemistry Lab (ACL) that is a core service facility for the Odum School of Ecology, providing in-house needs and a university service for chemical analysis and research development. The lab provides service-based instruction for undergraduates, graduate, postdoctoral and faculty scientists in analytical techniques, instrumentation and methodologies.

Additional education, research, and service facilities: (1) HorseShoe Bend Ecology Experimental Research Site, located along College Station Road, is a component of the University of Georgia East Campus. HSB has a rich tradition of community service, environmental education, and ecological research in areas such as, agroecosystem ecology, ecosystem development, perturbation ecology, population ecology, and teacher education; (2) The McGarity Wetland Preserve is located along the Alcovy River in proximity to Covington, Georgia. This wetland site provides a research and educational outdoor laboratory and is situated directly across the river from Georgia’s northernmost-recorded gum pond; (3) Satilla River Stephens-Hunt Refuge is used for ecological research and environmental education; (4) Spring Hollow, located near Ila, Georgia, is available for education, research, and service functions.

Academic Information

ADVISING
Undergraduate students are advised by faculty and staff of the Odum School. Graduate faculty play a prominent role as a mentor for upper class students in their last two years with the School.

Graduate students are advised and mentored by their major professor and advisory committee consisting of five faculty members for Ph.D. students and three faculty members for M.S. students. Student progress is monitored through a formal annual progress report.

DEGREES OFFERED
The Odum School of Ecology offers a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Science degree, and a Ph.D. in Ecology, as well as a Masters in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development (CESD) that is explicitly interdisciplinary. The School also offers a graduate Certificate in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development to students enrolled in any graduate degree program at UGA. During the summer of 2008, the School also began offering an undergraduate minor in Ecology. We have a balanced program that covers population and community ecology and ecosystems, with strengths in theoretical, empirical and applied aspects of ecology. The applied aspects of our program may be developed in doctoral work but more typically are expressed in the MS CESD program that has a strong service and outreach component located in the River Basin Center. We also participate in an interdisciplinary program in toxicology.

Courses of Instruction
Courses for the School of Ecology are listed under the following prefix: