Courses: 2012-2013 Academic Year

Educating the next generation of environmental leaders is one of the many ways Duke's Nicholas Institute helps bridge the gap between science and policy. During Duke's 2012-2013 academic year, staff members are aiding in this mission by teaching courses across campus. For more information on these courses, visit http://registrar.duke.edu. 

Spring 2013

Current Issues in Energy Policy

The class will explore the current U.S. energy policy debate, building up the Nicholas Institute's ongoing research and stakeholder engagement. It will cover the recent history of federal energy policy, existing state and federal environmental regulations affecting energy production and consumption and new federal policy proposals that may emerge early in 2013. (ENVIRON 590.103)

Instructor: Jonas Monast, director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Nicholas Institute

Putting Ecosystem Services Markets into Practice

Ecosystem Services, the benefits nature provides to people, are often undervalued. As a result, these benefits are being degraded or lost at a rapid pace. Through guest lectures and published and gray literature, this class will assess how environmental markets and trading can help society value ecosystem services and improve outcomes, as well as how ecosystem services can be detrimental to sustainability and conservation goals if not well designed and implemented. (ENVIRON 590.86)

Instructor: Lydia Olander, director of the Ecosystem Services Program at the Nicholas Institute

Understanding Energy Models and Modeling

This graduate-level course aims to nurture basic modeling literacy by focusing on the "bottom-up" and "top-down" energy models commonly used for economic, environmental and technology assessments. Students will gain practical experience searching for relevant modeling data, constructing scenarios and running the NEMS energy model. Students will gain a working knowledge of NEMS and CGE model mechanics and experience asking the types of questions needed to evaluate the quality of modeling results. (ENVIRON 715L)

Instructors: Etan Gumerman, senior policy analyst at the Nicholas Institute and Martin Ross, senior research economist at the Nicholas Institute and Tim Johnson of the Nicholas School of the Environment

Fall 2012

Energy, Environment and the Law
This graduate-level course examines the legal framework governing energy production and consumption in the United States, the major environmental issues associated with the nation’s energy sectors and policy approaches for balancing energy needs with environmental protection. (Law 234.01)

Instructor: Jonas Monast, director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Nicholas Institute
 
Statistics for Policy Makers
This course will ensure that students are both critical consumers and effective producers of statistical evidence presented in support of policy arguments and that they receive hands-on training in the creation of convincing statistical reports—from manipulating large datasets to conducting sensitivity analysis and presenting results. (PUBPOL 812.001) 
 
Instructor: Billy Pizer, faculty fellow at the Nicholas Institute and associate professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
 
Economics of Environmental Management
This graduate-level course examines the management of environmental quality and natural resources from a policy and economic point of view. It addresses conceptual and methodological issues with some application to recent empirical work. (ENVIRON 962.01)

Instructor: Brian Murray, director for economic analysis at the Nicholas Institute

Sustainable Systems Theory and Drivers
A course for first-year Duke graduate students enrolled in the Certificate in Sustainable Systems Analysis. Through the course, students will gain an understanding of general systems theory, system dynamics and sustainability systems theory through the lens of resource depletion. (ENV 811-01)

Instructor: Jay Golden, Director of the Duke Center for Sustainability and Commerce at the Nicholas Institute

Sustainable Systems Analysis Capstone

Instructor: Jay Golden, Director of the Duke Center for Sustainability and Commerce at the Nicholas Institute