This page is intended as a resource for those interested in teaching Science Policy. It lists relavent courses and research by University of Chicago faculty, and features both a University of Chicago degree-granting program in Science Policy, and a program at a peer institution. We hope that this page will serve the community and grow over time. Please send us your suggestions.
Overview:
I. UC Faculty Teaching and Research Relevant to Science Policy
II. UC Degree Granting Program in Science Policy
III. UC Research Initiatives Related to Science
Policy
IV. Additional UC Resources concerning Science Policy
V. Programs in Science Policy at Peer Institutions
I. UC Faculty Teaching and Research Relevant to Science Policy
Public Policy Studies program in the UC College
http://www.college.uchicago.edu/publicpolicy/
Steve Berry, James Franck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus
http://chemistry.uchicago.edu/fac/berry.shtml
http://berrygroup.uchicago.edu/
Course:
- "Energy and Energy Policy"
This course, primarily for fourth-year undergraduates and first-year graduate students, is designed to show how
scientific constraints affect economic and other policy
decisions regarding energy, what energy-based issues confront
our society and how we may address them through both policy
and scientific study, and how the policy and scientific
aspects can and should interact. It will address specific
technologies and the policy questions associated with each,
and also with more overarching aspects of energy policy that
may affect several, perhaps many technologies.
Also see: Energy and Energy Policy Course Papers
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Justin Borevitz, Assistant Professor Department of Ecology & Evolution Committee on Evolutionary Biology
http://borevitzlab.uchicago.edu/
Course:
- "Prairie Ecosystems: Lessons of Sustainability in the Past, Present, and Future"
This course looks at the Midwest prairie as a model ecosystem.
How and when did grasslands evolve? And where and when did
they become established? How many species and biotrophic
levels are interconnected in a regularly disturbed
environment? Are there keystone species? What are the
ecological forces that maintain, destroy, and restore balance?
Glacial retreat, fire, deep-rooted perennial grasses, large
herbivores, deforestation, industrial agriculture, and
biofuels are covered. We then apply what we have we learned
from the grasslands to live sustainably.
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Don Coursey, Ameritech Professor of Public Policy Studies in
the Harris School and the College
http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/faculty/web-pages/don-coursey.asp
Coursey led an investigation of environmental equity in
Chicago, documenting the prevalence of hazardous industrial
sites in poor, minority neighborhoods. He has examined public
expenditures on endangered species. He has also consulted with
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the
wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill to develop federal response
guidelines for environmental disasters.
Courses:
- "Environmental Science and Policy"
With a strong emphasis on the fundamental physics and
chemistry of the environment, this course is aimed at students
interested in assessing the scientific repercussions of
various policies on the environment. The primary goal of the
class is to assess how scientific information, the economics of scientific research, and the politics of science interact with and influence public policy development and implementation.
- "Topics in Environmental Policy"
This course builds upon the theoretical and empirical
underpinnings developed in Environmental Science and Policy to
examine and critique the current state of national and
international environmental policy. Topics include
environmental law and the institutions of environmental
regulations; property rights and the environment; and business
interaction with the environment and with environmental
policy. Special emphasis is placed on evaluating the Clean Air and Water Acts, Superfund legislation, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Federal legislation
regulating the toxicity of hazardous substances. Other
specific areas of policy may also be examined if current
legislative and student interests apply.
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Howard Margolis, Professor in the Harris School and the College
http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/faculty/web-pages/howard-margolis.asp
Howard Margolis studies social theory, particularly the
underpinnings of individual choice and judgment that shape
aggregate social outcomes. He has taught at the University of
California-Irvine and has held research positions at the
Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, N.J.), the Russell
Sage Foundation, and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Prior to his academic career, Margolis worked in
Washington, D.C., as a journalist, official, and consultant.
He was the founder of the "News & Comment" section of Science,
a correspondent for the Washington Post and the Bulletin of
the Atomic Scientists, speechwriter for the Secretary of
Defense, and consultant to the National Academy of Sciences on
studies of major public policy issues. In 2005-2006, Margolis
was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.
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Pam Martin, Assistant Professor, Department of the Geophysical
Sciences and the College
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/people/martin.shtml
Professor Martin’s research broadly focuses on reconstructing
changes in deep ocean temperature, chemistry, and circulation
to understand oceanic controls on climate change. She is
interested in the links between ocean biogeochemical cycles,
atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change on timescales
ranging from orbital variations (hundreds of thousands of
years) to anthropogenic variations (decades to millennium).
She makes measurements of the chemical composition of fossils
to document climate changes in the geologic record and uses
numerical models to investigate the ocean's role in the
climate system.
Courses:
- "Feeding the City: The Urban Food Chain"
- University of Chicago Program on the Global Environment
“Feeding the City” — Energy Use and Related Greenhouse Gas
Emissions of Small-Scale, Diversified Farms Serving Chicago.
http://pge.uchicago.edu/news/2008/081021-agriculture_internship.shtml
“Our project is a year-long internship program for 10-12
University of Chicago undergraduates interested in sustainable
agriculture in Illinois. The internship program will involve
reading and research class work on the environmental, social
and economic impact of sustainable agriculture in this area,
along with a summer internship for each of the interns at one
of 5-7 Illinois farms involved in the project. Some students
will also have the opportunity to work at 4-5 urban farm sites
within the City of Chicago.” - Mark Lycett, Director of PGE
http://pge.uchicago.edu/news/2008/081021-agriculture_internship.shtml
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Robert Michaels, Eliakim Hastings Moore Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Harris School of Public Policy Studies &
Edward "Rocky" Kolb, Professor and Chair, Astronomy & Astrophysics
Course:
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Elisabeth Moyer, Assistant Professor, Department of the
Geophysical Sciences and the College
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/people/moyer.shtml
Elisabeth Moyer's research interests include the measurement
and study of atmospheric water vapor (the Earth's predominant
greenhouse gas) and the human dimensions of climate change.
She is co-PI on the University of Chicago/Argonne National
Laboratories initiative CIM-EARTH (Community Integrated Model
of Economic and Resource Trajectories for Humankind), an
interdisciplinary project to model the human response to
climate change.
Course:
- "Energy: Science, Technology, and Human Usage"
This course covers the technologies by which humans
appropriate energy for industrial and societal use, from
steam turbines to internal combustion engines to photovoltaics. We will also discuss the physics and economics
of the resulting human energy system: fuel sources and
relationship to energy flows in the Earth system, modeling and
simulation of energy production and use. The course is
intended to provide a technical foundation for students
interested in careers in the energy industry or in energy
policy. Rather than laboratory time we will take field trips
to major energy converters (e.g. coal-fired and nuclear power
plants, oil refinery, biogas digester) and users (e.g. steel,
fertilizer production).
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James Sallee, Assistant Professor in the Harris School
http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/faculty/web-pages/james-sallee.asp
http://home.uchicago.edu/~sallee/Site/Home.html
James M. Sallee researches a variety of topics in public
economics, including the economics of taxation and
environmental economics. His current research is focused on
evaluating policy alternatives for increasing the fuel economy
of new vehicles in the United States. In other work he has
examined how individuals evaded minimum age of marriage laws;
whether or not the tax system influences fertility timing; the optimal design of higher education systems; and how accounting
conventions influence corporate responses to taxation.
Course:
- "Policy Approaches to Mitigating Climate Change"
This course analyzes current policy options for addressing
long-term climate change from an economic perspective. The
focus of the course is on assessing the two major rival
alternatives for comprehensive environmental policy:
cap-and-trade and carbon taxation. As time allows, related
policies in the transportation (e.g., fuel economy regulation
versus gasoline taxation), agricultural and energy sector will
be discussed. The course focuses on U.S. domestic policy, but
there will be some attempt to understand how these choices interact with international agreements. The course does not
deal with the science of climate change.
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Sabina Shaikh
http://home.uchicago.edu/~sabina/
Dr. Shaikh is a Senior Research Economist at RCF, an economic
consulting firm. Her areas of expertise include environment
and natural resource policy analysis, econometrics, welfare
analysis, and non-market valuation. She is also currently a
Lecturer in Economics and Public Policy at the University of
Chicago where she teaches Environmental Economics and Public
Policy Analysis. She was previously on the faculty of the
Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of British Columbia since July 1999. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis, an M.A. from Colorado State University and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.
Course:
- "Economic Valuation of Ecosystems"
Ecosystems provide services including climate regulation,
maintenance of biodiversity, and flood and storm protection,
which in turn lead to economic opportunities. This course
introduces the economic valuation concepts and methods used to
link ecosystem functions to human values in order to guide policy and planning decisions.
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George Tolley, Professor Emeritus in Economics and the College
http://economics.uchicago.edu/faculty.shtml#t
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1955. Professor Emeritus in Economics and the College (at Chicago 1950-1955 and since 1966). Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2003. Honorary Editor, Resource and Energy Economics. Honorary Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 2006.
Recent Research: Energy, resources and environment; urban economics,; regional economics; agricultural economics; development; monetary economics; tax and tax policy; finance.
Courses:
- "Energy and Energy Policy"
This course, primarily for fourth-year undergraduates and
first-year graduate students, is designed to show how
scientific constraints affect economic and other policy
decisions regarding energy, what energy-based issues confront
our society and how we may address them through both policy
and scientific study, and how the policy and scientific
aspects can and should interact. It will address specific
technologies and the policy questions associated with each, and also with more overarching aspects of energy policy that may affect several, perhaps many technologies.
Also see: Energy and Energy Policy Course Papers
- "Environmental Economics"
This course applies theoretical and empirical economic tools
to environmental issues. Concepts include externalities,
public goods, property rights, non-market valuation, and
social cost-benefit analysis. These concepts are applied to a
number of areas including nonrenewable resources, air pollution, water pollution, solid waste management, climate change and sustainable development. Special emphasis is
devoted to analyzing the role of economics in regional and international environmental policy
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David Weisbach, Walter J. Blum Professor of Law and Kearney Director of the Program in Law and Economics
http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/weisbach
David Weisbach received his B.S. in mathematics from the
University of Michigan in 1985; a Certificate for Advanced
Studies in Mathematics from Wolfson College, Cambridge, in
1986; and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. After
graduating from law school, Mr. Weisbach clerked for Judge
Joel M. Flaum of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh
Circuit and worked as an associate in the law firm of Miller &
Chevalier. In 1992, Mr. Weisbach joined the Department of
Treasury where he worked as an attorney-advisor in the Office
of the Tax Legislative Counsel and, subsequently, as associate
tax legislative counsel. In 1996, Mr. Weisbach was appointed
Associate Professor of Law at Georgetown Law Center and joined
the Chicago faculty in 1998. Mr. Weisbach is primarily
interested in issues relating to federal taxation.
Course:
- "Climate Change"
This seminar will study the law, economics, and policy of
climate change. It will be centered around a simulation of
climate change negotiations. Students will be assigned to
represent a nation or region as diplomats at an international
climate change treaty negotiation (sorry, no exotic locations,
just a seminar room). The initial sessions will be devoted to
briefings for the diplomats from scientists, economists, and
industry. If possible, we will have field scientists and
representatives from industry do these briefing and the
student/diplomats will have the opportunity to pose questions.
The latter part of class will devoted to the negotiations and
a debriefing. student/diplomats can also negotiate outside of
the formal in-class negotiations, with nations making any
side-deals that they desire. Student/diplomats will have to
prepare positions papers for their countries that examine the
incentives of the country to participate in various treaties,
including the impact of climate change on that country, the
costs of mitigation of the harm, and the local industries
affected by a treaty. Position papers should also consider issues of justice: how much of the burden should each nation be obligated to bear. Grades will be based on the position
papers and class participation, including advocacy of your country s interests. Enrollment is limited to 20.
Winter (3)
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II. UC Degree Granting Program in Science Policy
M.S. Degree in Environmental Science and Policy
The Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy Studies and the
Division of the Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago
offer a two-year program leading to a master of environmental
science and policy degree, designed for students interested in
assessing the scientific repercussions of various policies on
the environment.
http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/Programs/degrees/masters/ms.asp
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III. University of Chicago Research Initiatives Related to Science
Policy
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IV. Additional UC Resources concerning Science Policy
The UC Experts Guide
This page provides a listing of faculty members with research interests in science policy, broadly construed:
http://experts.uchicago.edu/search.php?subject=
Science%20policy&search=OK
Science Policy, Education, and Outreach
The mission of SOS is to promote and advocate for support and understanding of science among policy makers and the public at large. Projects for the group's members include (1) Politics and Policy Making, (2) Youth-Oriented Education and Outreach, and (3) General Public Education and Outreach.
https://lists.uchicago.edu/web/info/sos
Science Policy Council at Argonne
In 2005, the University of Chicago established a new Science Policy Council, in collaboration with Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, which oversees the scientific mission of Argonne National Laboratory. The council is expected to enhance Argonne's scientific capabilities, strengthen the state's technological base and work force preparation, and improve Illinois' ability to receive federal research funding.
http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050331/sciencecouncil.shtml
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V. Programs in Science Policy at Peer Institutions
ERG at Berkeley
The Energy and Resources Group (ERG) is an interdisciplinary
academic unit of the University of California, Berkeley. Our
mission is to develop, transmit and apply critical knowledge
to enable a future in which human material needs and a healthy
environment are mutually and sustainably satisfied. We pursue
our mission through education, research, and service.
Established in 1973, ERG offers programs of study in Energy
and Resources for graduate students leading to MA, MS, and PhD
degrees. We also offer an undergraduate minor.
http://erg.berkeley.edu/
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Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia
The Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University trains public managers and policymakers, who apply innovative, systems-based thinking to environmental issues. The program challenges students to think systemically and act pragmatically. It offers a high-quality graduate program in management and policy analysis that emphasizes practical skills and is enriched by ecological and planetary science.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mpaenvironment/
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The Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at Harvard
The Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program (STPP)
engages in research, teaching, and outreach on how science and
technology influence public policy; on how public policy
influences the evolution of science and technology; on how the
outcomes of these interactions affect well-being in the United
States and worldwide; and on how the processes involved can
be made more effective and their outcomes more beneficial.
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/project/44/
science_technology_and_public_policy.html
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Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy at Princeton
Princeton University's Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy (STEP) is based in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs with strong ties to the Princeton Environmental Institute. The program offers a certificate for students enrolled in the Woodrow Wilson School's M.P.A. or M.P.P programs and studies leading to a Ph.D. The goal of the STEP program is to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of scientific, technological and environmental problems and opportunities, the specialized methods used for analyzing scientific, technological and environmental issues, and the dynamics of science and technology in relation to national and international institutions and organizations.
http://www.princeton.edu/step/
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Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford
(previously the Center for Environmental Science and Policy)
The Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University harnesses the expertise and imagination of leading academics and decision-makers to create practical solutions for people and the planet. Research at Woods focuses on five core areas: climate and energy, land use and conservation, oceans and estuaries, freshwater, sustainable built environment.
http://woods.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/index.php
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Center for Environmental Law & Policy at Yale
The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy seeks to advance fresh thinking and analytically rigorous approaches to environmental decision making – across disciplines, sectors, and boundaries. The center aims to be a leading resource for the development of next-generation environmental law and policy; to train future environmental leaders by encouraging innovative thinking and rigorous analysis; and to identify pressing environmental problems and advance effective policies, strategies, and decision making tools in response.
http://envirocenter.research.yale.edu/
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Please send us your suggestions for additional programs in Science Policy. |
