Research by Subject

Water-Land Systems

Interactions between hydrological systems, including aquatic, estuarine, and coastal environments, and landscape structure and pattern.

The water-land systems approach considers the interactions of fluvial, estuarine, marine, groundwater, and wetland systems with patterns of human settlement and industry.  The highly urbanized northeastern region of New Jersey, while compact geographically, is part of a complex coastal environment in which such interactions can readily be observed.  Since the region has a long history of coastal industrial activity, land- and water-use impacts over time can be readily studied. MSU is situated in the heart of the region; consequently students can conveniently conduct doctoral research projects and training exercises there. 

Sustainability, Vulnerability, and Equity

Conceptualization and operationalization of these emerging areas of study within the context of urban environmental management. 

The concepts of sustainability, vulnerability, and equity have become critical for understanding urban environmental management.  A primary objective of the doctoral program research mission is to more formally integrate these theoretical advancements into urban environmental change and management theory and practice.    The themes of sustainability, vulnerability and equity constitute an interdisciplinary approach to urban environmental management that is based on the study of organizations and institutions. Research approaches within this component of the program are as follows: 

• Analysis of natural systems for the construction of indicators and establishing models for monitoring urban systems (e.g., water supply, material-use, waste systems) and associated environmental improvement or degradation;
• Research into existing conditions and opportunities for enhancing the conditions of sustainability and equity, and vulnerability reduction in organizations and institutions, i.e., business, education, governmental, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• Research into the dynamics of public policy and environmental sustainability, vulnerability, and equity.   

Modeling and Visualization

State-of-the-art computer-assisted techniques and methods to study the process of environmental change.

Modeling and visualization have become critical tools for environmental managers in advancing their understanding of how the major elements of the complex physical and human environment interact, particularly with respect to the urban environment. More sophisticated data gathering and processing devices, and updated software packages are the cutting-edge research tools for the environmental analysis and modeling community.  This component of the doctoral program facilitates the integration of these new techniques and methods into the analysis of urban environmental issues.  Within the program, there are several main research modeling and visualization themes. They include for example:

• Linking environmental models to remote sensing and GIS for application to landscape dynamics;
• Marine sediment and associated contaminant transport and chemodynamic modeling;
• Integration of modeling with other technologies like optical sensors and data acquisition electronics.