The Senior Program

The Senior Program is an integrating, culminating experience that draws on the knowledge and research skills you have developed in the first three years. At its heart is the senior project. The project is a detailed exploration of an environmental topic that culminates in a research paper and oral presentation. The Senior Project should demonstrate competent application of methods and concepts from within the student's selected discipline but may also incorporate methods and concepts of other academic fields reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues. Majors plan and pursue this independent project under the close supervision of a faculty member and the program's advisory committee.

Recent environmental studies capstone presentations include:

• Investigating the Use of Energy-Efficient Technology in Central and Upstate New York's Maple Syrup Industry
• The Benefits and Challenges of Agritourism in the New York State Maple Industry
• Geographical Patterns in Street Tree Coverage and Tree Density in Utica, New York
• Sweetness and Performance of Identity: The Socially Embedded Nature of Maple Syrup
• The Effect of Tree Stand Density on Maple Sap Sugar Concentration
• Air Temperatures, Snow Depth & Soil Temperatures: How Will a Changing Climate Impact Sugar Maple Health & Sap Flow in Central New York?
• Priorities and Challenges of Maple Syrup Producers in New York State in 2023
• Viable Alternatives to Sugar Maples Within the Maple Syrup Industry? Exploring Variabilities in Sap Sugar Concentration of Maple and Birch Trees

Recent environmental studies thesis research projects include:

• The influence of precipitation on sap-flux scaled transpiration and variability in soil moisture in Central New York
• Winter Weather Whiplash: Examining Trends of Winter Weather Variability in Upstate New York
• Garden Gossip: The Role of Race and Interpersonal Conflict in Utica’s Urban Agriculture Organizations
• Methane Efflux Rates Throughout Hamilton College’s Small-Scale Reservoirs from Late Summer to Late Fall
• The Art in Artivism: How Puerto Rican Artist Mobilize Emotions for Climate Justice Movement Building
• Representativeness of Central New York weather stations and implications for future climate monitoring
• Assessing Carbon Sequestration in Rhode Island’s Salt Marshes under Two Marsh Migration Scenarios in Response to Sea Level Rise
• Combating Mass Production and Consumption with Alternative Textiles and Textile Justice
• A quantitative and qualitative study of peri-urban wetlands on the Hamilton College campus
• Our Community Garden: An Analysis of Urban Agriculture and Environmental Justice in New York City
• Carbon Export Consequences of the Proposed MPA in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica