An Introduction

The University of Texas at Austin has founded a multi-disciplinary institute for basic scientific research in environmental studies. The complex nature of environmental processes are best understood through studies that cross traditional academic disciplinary boundaries. This applies to studies of both global-scale processes as well as those that occur at the local level. Locally, there is heightened awareness of the numerous environmental problems facing the State of Texas and the Texas-Mexico borderlands. These include the contamination and depletion of water supplies, contamination of the atmosphere and the encroachment of non-native species, all in the face of one of the most rapidly growing populations in the country.

Extensive resources that exist in the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Liberal Arts, including faculty, students, and facilities, create a strong foundation for this Environmental Science Institute. New initiatives within individual departments, including faculty recruitment, are continuing to build on this interdisciplinary theme. Developing programs in the ESI will facilitate multidisciplinary research, education and outreach in environmental studies; coordinate cross-departmental instruction in environmental studies; and disseminate advances in the area of environmental science that are important locally and globally.

This Institute's focus is basic scientific research on the complex interactions between the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. We hope that you'll find this website an informative introduction to the Environmental Science Institute.