School of Earth, Environment and Society to open at PSU.

A new school at Portland State University hopes to address complex issues facing the planet and those who call it home.

(PORTLAND TRIBUNE) -- A new school at Portland State University hopes to address complex issues facing the planet and those who call it home.

After a nearly two-year-long process, the university is ready to being transitioning toward its School of Earth, Environment and Society in the 2024-25 school year.

Department Chair of Environmental Science and Management Max Nielsen-Pincus said, “there’s a lot of hope and value in owning our own future.”

The new school is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and combines five existing units: Anthropology, Complex Systems, Environmental Science and Management, Geography and Geology.

Faculty can “steer their own ship” and overcome silos that are disciplinary boundaries to better support students, according to Nielsen-Pincus.

Cristina Rojas, PSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences communications manager, said research and educations areas for transdisciplinary growth include climate change and adaptation; environmental and climate justice; applied conservation; geospatial data science; human health and cultural diversity; impacts of pollution and natural hazards; and complex systems and resilience thinking.

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