Paul Smith’s College announces Human Health and the Environment new academic program

Paul Smith’s College now offers students the opportunity to earn a four-year degree in the field of Human Health and the Environment. This new Bachelor of Science program focuses on human biology and the environmental factors that impact human health.

Students in the program will learn the science of human biology and gain an understanding of the ways in which public health is influenced by exposure to pollution, climate change, biological toxins and a wide range of other factors. They will also study the consequences of human population growth on ecosystems.

This knowledge is rigorously applied to examine current and emerging health issues, encouraging a holistic approach to managing public health using methods such as disease control, risk assessment, nutrition, food security, ecological restoration and bioremediation, community participation, and policymaking.

“I am thrilled that Paul Smith’s College has developed a new program to actively address the need for graduates with a profound understanding of the environment’s influence on human health,” said Nicholas Hunt-Bull, provost and chief academic officer at the college. “Such a program is particularly fitting in the region where Dr. Edward Trudeau performed his pioneering work to cure tuberculosis.”

Graduates of the new program will enter a rapidly-growing professional field. According to leaders at the New York State Conference of Environmental Health Directors, there is a nationwide shortage of skilled Environmental Health professionals.

“Not only is there an increasing demand for graduates of such a program, but Paul Smith’s can deliver this program in a spectacular way,” said Paul Smith’s College biology professor Dr. Lee Ann Sporn. “We excel in our environmentally-centered programs, and this represents another important piece of the puzzle. The connection between health of the environment and human health is part of our history as a college and the history or the region.”

Human Health and the Environment is a natural fit for Paul Smith’s College. The natural sciences are among the most popular majors on campus, with hundreds of students each year enrolled in programs such as environmental science, fisheries and wildlife sciences, biology, and ecological restoration. Faculty and students have partnered with a variety of organizations to apply their knowledge for the greater good of our society; one example is the college’s partnership with the New York State Department of Health to conduct field research on the emergence of Lyme Disease and other vector-borne infections in the Adirondacks. This work is complemented by the research and water-quality protection efforts that have been performed by the college’s Adirondack Watershed Institute since 1989.

Students interested in the Human Health and the Environment program are eligible to receive financial aid, receive job placement assistance, and benefit from a strong network of Paul Smith’s College alumni in the natural sciences fields.

About Paul Smith’s College
At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. We are the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs – in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences – draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information, visit paulsmiths.edu.