BOONE—One of the fastest-growing degrees in Appalachian State University’s College of Arts and Sciences is the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science.

When the program first began, university officials anticipated enrolling 10 new students a year. After the first year, there were more than 30 students majoring in the degree.  Currently, the program has 40 declared and 59 undeclared majors.

The new degree program, begun in fall 2008, is directed by Dr. Chris Thaxton, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy who served as interim program director for a year.

“Interest in this program has been through the roof,” said Thaxton, who expects the number of declared majors to stabilize at around 100 undergraduates.

“Students who are already attracted to Appalachian because of its setting and growing reputation in sustainability get really charged up when they see that we offer a powerful science degree in a field that resonates with them,” he said. “Most say that they can see the impact we as humans are having on the planet and they feel a calling to a career in science toward solving environmental problems.”

The varied employment opportunities available in the field are also a plus for students. “Environmental science and environmental studies are among the fastest growing careers worldwide,” Thaxton said. “I take calls from parents and students about the program as well as recruiters from regional and local companies who are interested in hiring our majors. This program already has a good reputation.”

Thaxton came to Appalachian following a five-year career with IBM in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.  In addition to directing the environmental science program, Thaxton also oversees the university’s Professional Science Master’s degree in engineering physics and currently teaches a course in atmospheric physics.

It’s the opportunity to blend administrative work with research and teaching that attracted him to work in a university setting.

“It’s a lot to do, but it works out well,” Thaxton said.

Appalachian’s program differs from other environmental science or environmental studies programs with its multidisciplinary approach that is built on the six core sciences – biology, chemistry, geology, geography, physics and astronomy, and mathematics. “Our program is very science intensive and the prerequisite structure is pretty intense. Our majors take all the introductory sequences that the majors in those respective disciplines take,” Thaxton said.

As a result, students develop science-focused and problem-solving skills that are the nature of a career in environmental science, Thaxton explained.

“An intensive science program makes our graduates highly marketable and prepares them for more opportunities in graduate school,” he said. “Because they have taken all this foundational work in the core sciences, graduates can really go in any direction, such as environmental chemistry, environmental physics, ecology or the social sciences.”

More information about the program is online at http://environment.appstate.edu.

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