News

Gillian Stewart just completed an introductory oceanography textbook, published by W.W. Norton and Co. This book builds on her 20+ years of teaching experience at Queens College and in SEES, teaching diverse students with a range of backgrounds. Dr. Stewart used examples and analogies that have been successful in her classes, and the book is written in a conversational and narrative tone. She tested potential text, images, concepts, and approaches in both her Geo 08 (non-majors) and Geo 216 (majors) classes, and students overall were enthusiastic about the material. The book is called Oceanography, an Interdisciplinary Approach, and uses a novel scheme to address the material in an oceanography course by dividing the book by oceanic realm (the deep ocean, the atmosphere/surface ocean, the open ocean, the coastal ocean, and the polar oceans) instead of dividing the book by discipline (geological, physical, chemical, and biological oceanography). This approach has been helpful in retaining student engagement with the material because many students are most interested in marine biology, and the alien and unique ecosystems in the various marine regions are useful to demonstrate complex chemical, geological, and physical phenomena in a more easily digestible manner. Finally, the book uses anthropogenic climate change and the carbon cycle as a thread throughout, reflecting Dr. Stewart’s research tracing carbon in the ocean.

SEES 2025 Graduation Ceremony

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2025!

Dr. Stephen Pekar, Professor and Chair of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, welcomed students, families, and friends to the SEES 2025 Graduation Ceremony with a heartfelt message celebrating the resilience, purpose, and power of the graduating class.

This year’s graduates represent more than academic achievement — they are environmental heroes stepping into careers aimed at safeguarding the future of our planet. As Dr. Pekar emphasized, these students are “the superheroes of our time,” armed with knowledge and a mission to create a more sustainable world.