Students in Hofstra University's Department of Geology, Environment and Sustainability study the history of the planet and how to best preserve natural and human resources into the future. Our professors are teachers and practitioners, and they have brought their expertise to many major local projects including the construction of the East Side Access and Second Avenue Subway Tunnel projects in New York City.

Outside of the classroom faculty engage our students in field and laboratory projects including courses conducted during trips to geological sites in Arizona, Wyoming, California, New England, and the Galapagos. Students also can work within Hofstra University's Center for Climate Study. The center has several projects underway including the study of prehistoric Long Island hurricanes, and the impact of climate change on Long Island's terrestrial and marine eco-systems.

On campus, students work in well-equipped laboratories for sedimentology, paleontology, and petrology with a mineralogy laboratory equipped for X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence analysis, and laboratories for digital microscopy and geological cartography. The use of all these resources by students is encouraged, facilitated, and mentored by department faculty.

The Sustainability Studies Program at Hofstra University takes advantage of its Long Island, N.Y. location to focus on sustainability issues that are unique to the suburbs and urban areas. Students with an entrepreneurial bent will find a curriculum and professors who encourage them to find creative solutions to real-world problems. The program also partners with Hofstra's National Center for Suburban Studies on conferences and research that bring global environmental and sustainability experts to campus. We offer a BS and BA major and a minor in Sustainability Studies. Student initiative is a big part of the sustainability program. Students work on real sustainability issues on campus such as recycling, energy, and transportation. They also tend a garden that produces food for the university's eateries. Many students also live in a special residence hall devoted to sustainable living. Students have the opportunity to take credits for internships at leading green businesses, consulting firms, and non-profits.

Dr. Charles Merguerian
Professor and Chair
141 Gittleson Hall
(516) 463-5567