About the Center for Environmental Studies
Mission Statement
The mission of the Center for Environmental Studies is to:
- Prepare Brown students for lives and careers that demand a thorough understanding of human interactions with the natural and built environment by
- providing high quality education at the undergraduate and graduate levels,
- competing for the opportunity to train the best students who are going to be the leaders of the next generation, and
- competing for the best faculty.
- Contribute in major ways to the solution of significant environmental problems, understanding that
- solving environmental problems requires high quality interconnected basic and applied research,
- the nature of environmental problems requires a broad interdisciplinary approach encompassing from physical and social sciences to policy analysis,
- urgent environmental problems occur at all scales from local to global, and
- contributions to solving environmental problems require not only generation of new knowledge but also effective communication to different stake holders ranging from society at large to policy makers.
- Provide services to governmental and non-governmental organizations operating at all levels from local to global
- Foster relations and encourage collaborative efforts
- among members of the CES community,
- between CES and other departments at Brown,
- between CES and other Universities, nationally and internationally,
- between CES and environmental agencies and organizations, nationally and internationally.
Objectives
Human society is beginning to recognize the pressing need to solve the multitude of environmental problems which have arisen over time and which continue to grow today. These environmental problems stem from patterns of human interaction with the earth and its ecosystems and from various societies' unsustainable use of natural resources. The Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Brown University was established with the primary aim of educating individuals to solve challenging environmental probl ems, both at the local and global levels. CES also works directly to improve human well-being and environmental quality through community, city, and state partnerships in service and research.
A guiding principle of CES's activities is the integration of teaching, research, and service. Educational, research, and community service aims are simultaneously met through CES activities and programs and positively reinforce each other. A second principle is CES's applied approach to environmental education and problem-solving.
CES students and faculty address local environmental problems, working towards their practical resolution. In response to Brown University's location in the m idst of a major U.S. city, CES focuses primarily on urban environmental problems. Within this focus, CES has emphasized issues of solid and hazardous waste, environmental health, and environmental justice. At the national level, CES has interest and expertise in environmental accounting and insurance arrangements and in pollution prevention and toxics policies.
History of the Center
The Center for Environmental Studies was formed in 1978, and the first degree program was initiated in 1979. Both these events were the outcome of student efforts supported by several Brown faculty, including Dr. Harold Ward, who became the Center's director.
Throughout the 1970s, numerous students had been forming independent concentrations on the environment and issues of the environment. CES came out of recognizing the need for a communications base and a place for the sharing of ideas and information. Th e bachelor of arts in environmental studies was initiated in recognition of the growing number of independent concentrators with environmental foci.
The Brown Center for Environmental Studies (CES) is housed in the Urban Environmental Laboratory (UEL) at 135 Angell Street in Providence. In 1885, the building that is now the UEL was constructed as a carriage house. Grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation in 1981 and 1982 allowed Brown to renovate the building extensively to house the newly formed Center for Environmental Studies.
Initially and over the years, much of the renovation and maintenance work on the UEL has been done by students. At the time of its renovation, the UEL was a state-of-the-art superinsulated building and today has the lowest space-heating costs/area at Brown.
Related Initiatives
Related Programs
Related Student Activities
Directions to the Center
From Downtown Providence (Kennedy Plaza)
- Head east on Washington Street.
- Washington Street becomes Waterman Street.
- Continue on Waterman (up College Hill) for 6 blocks.
- Turn left on Brook Street.
- Go north on Brook Street for 1 block, turning left on Angell Street.
- Head west on Angell Street 1.5 blocks.
- UEL is on the left, half a block up after the Brown Bookstore.
From points North, South, or West of Providence:
- Take I-95 to I-195 East.
- From I-195, take exit 2 (Wickenden Street).
- Go east on Wickenden to Hope Street.
- Make a left onto Hope Street, heading North.
- Turn left on Angell Street after about ten blocks.
- Go 2.5 blocks west, UEL is on the left, half a block up after the Brown Bookstore.
From Points East of Providence:
- From I-195 West take exit 3 (Gano Street).
- Head north on Gano for about 12 blocks.
- Turn left on Angell Street.
- Travel west on Angell for about 7 or 8 blocks.
- UEL is on the left, half a block up after the Brown Bookstore.