About SWES
Welcome
to the website for the Soil, Water and Environmental Science (SWES) department
at the University of Arizona. The SWES Department has a faculty consisting
of 26 outstanding scientists, distinguished by their understanding of
soil, water, and the environment, and their ability to carry out research
and planning towards the solution of environmental and resource use and
management problems.
The SWES Department directs an undergraduate program, offering a Bachelor
of Sciencedegree with a major in Environmental Science. Students can
select from 15 different focal areas within the degree program (see
undergraduate program under the Educational Programs section of this website).
The SWES Department offers graduate work leading to the Master of Science
and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Soil, Water and Environmental Science,
with focal areas in either environmental science or soil and water science.
Graduate study in the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science
is open to students with undergraduate preparation in biological, chemical,
physical and earth sciences, as well as engineering.
Programs
in the SWES department are generally developed around two major areas
of focus: 1) Critical Zone Science and 2) Water Quality.
More specifically, the SWES Department is responsible for directing programs in the following areas:
a) soil, plant, atmosphere systems, with emphasis on remote sensing, soil-water-plant relations, and soil genesis and morphology.
b) environmental science, with emphasis on contaminant transport and fate, waste management/reuse, and soil/groundwater remediation; and
c) subsurface science, with emphasis on physical, chemical, and microbiological processes.
We appreciate your interest in the SWES Department. We encourage you to explore this website and let us know if you have any questions or comments.
Statement of Mission and Goals
The Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science (SWES), with comprehensive expertise in Environmental and Soil Sciences, is and will continue to be an invaluable resource for Arizona in the areas of water quality and sustainable land and water management. It is our central mission to provide:- Training and education
in the area of critical zone science to the future generation of scientists, land and water resource managers, engineers, and policy makers.
- Relevant
and innovative information to aid in sustainable management and decision-making
of our increasingly stressed land (soil) and water supplies.
- Technical expertise for addressing critical zone and water quality issues in rural (agriculture), urban centers. and the rapidly changing interfaces between them.
Critical zone science and water quality, along with their relation to sustainable land (soil) and water management, will continue to be the primary focal areas for training, research, and service/extension/outreach activities of the Department.
last updated 04/2011