Future Earth Resilience Minor

Develop a foundational understanding of Earth processes, resilience, and the interaction between humanity and the planet. The diversity of the courses available in the minor intends to challenge us as we expand how we think about what resilience means, and as we welcome Western and non-Western approaches to studying the world.

FER minor courses explore how experts are working towards more sustainable practices and resilient Earth inhabitants by developing and implementing solutions. Traditionally, we consider scientists and engineers as those innovating solutions, but we aim to expand our consideration of the breadth of experts working towards resilience. Here, we go beyond developing solutions and provide opportunities to propose critical solutions and learn how solutions are implemented.

Innovative scientific, engineering, economic, and sociopolitical solutions and resources are often not allocated equitably to groups facing threats to being resilient. The courses in the FER minor were selected to expand our ability to think critically about these challenges—to understand the context (‘Why is this happening?’), be better equipped to grapple with the impact of inequity (‘Who is benefitting? Who is harmed?’), and have a greater capacity to empathize.