Paul Smith's College announces new academic programs

Paul Smiths, NY (06/22/2017) — This fall semester, Paul Smith's College will launch several new academic opportunities for new and returning students, including a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

In addition to the new four-year degree are two living and learning communities, the Emerging Leaders Program and the Osgood Pond Homestead Program, as well as a new track within the biology program focusing on human health.

The B.S. in psychology will combine current social and sustainability issues, giving students a first-hand opportunity to study the use and impact of the environment, wilderness, and recreational therapies and interventions. The program will feature scholarship and study abroad opportunities, as well as doctoral-level faculty and certified therapists and counselors.

"I am excited that Paul Smith's is adding a new program in psychology," said Nicholas Hunt-Bull, provost of Paul Smith's College. "For a student who wants to learn about how humans think, it is a perfect educational option."

Housed in the Environment and Society Department, students in the psychology program will be able to develop connections between psychology and other fields of study, including the natural sciences, recreation, and natural resource management.

The living and learning communities are both year-long programs in which students are grouped together in residence halls and take on specially tailored learning opportunities.

The Emerging Leaders Program, available to first-year students at the college, provides a $2,000 scholarship, leadership-oriented workshops, induction into the National Society of Leadership and Success, a retreat and more.

The Osgood Pond Homestead Program will focus on sustainability and community development, with hands-on experience at Osgood Farm, a human, draft horse and solar powered site on the college's north campus near the Paul Smith's College VIC.

Both programs are at capacity for the upcoming academic year.

The human health track within the biology program reflects a growing demand for trained environmental health professionals. A nationwide shortage of staff and the ever-changing relationship between humans and the environment has made for diverse field rich in employment opportunities at local, state and national levels.

The focus ties well into research already conducted by faculty and students, such as the collaborative tick monitoring effort between Dr. Lee Ann Sporn, Paul Smith's students, the Adirondack Watershed Institute and the New York State Department of Health, which has documented a rise of cases of Lyme disease in the North Country, as well as the first instance of ticks carrying the agent that causes human babesiosis in the region.

"Human health is inextricably linked to health of the environment," added Dr. Jorie Favreau, professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith's. "With human caused change to the environment, such as pollutants and rapid increases in infectious diseases like Zika virus, it is more important than ever to understand the ecological connection between human health and the environment."

About Paul Smith's College

At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. We are the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs - in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences - draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information, visit paulsmiths.edu.

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