Conversations

Updated 11/5/2024

ENVS 198/498: Conversations Toward a Sustainable Future
Fall, 2024: Monday, 12:10-1:00 pm in 211 SCSC and sometimes Merrick 301

Instructor: Dr. John Krygier
Office: Schimmel-Conrades Science Center 206
Office Hours: Make an appointment here or email for other times
jbkrygier@owu.edu | http://krygier.owu.edu

ENVS 198/498 meet together, Monday at noon in 211 SCSC. 198 is for new ENVS majors. 498 is for graduating majors. We attend, instead of class, the Sustainability Task Force meeting three times during the semester, same time as class, in 301 Merrick.

Course Description: A combined cornerstone (198) / capstone (498) course that allows new Environmental Studies and Environmental Science majors and graduating seniors to engage with each other. Seniors will present work completed at OWU and reflect on the experiences gained in internships, field study, research, and other theory-to-practice opportunities. Seniors will interact with and mentor new majors to shape their plans for future work in their majors at OWU. Freshmen/sophomores will also engage with other E&S faculty, campus staff (B&G, AVI), City of Delaware employees, regional NGOs, and other environmental professionals. Occasional readings, videos, and/or recorded presentations on environmental issues will be assigned for discussion. ENVS 198/498 are required of all ENVS majors.

See Groups & Projects below schedule.

Course texts: None! But some readings may be added.

Sharing your work with Instructor: this is how you turn stuff in

• • Go to your OWU Drive account
  • Create a new folder with the course and your last name
    • +New button (upper left) >> then Folder
    • Mark Hollis’s folder would be: ENVS 198 Hollis
      • or ENVS 498 Hollis if you are in 498 class instead
    • Share that folder with Dr. Krygier (Editor)
    • When done with your work, put in shared folder and email instructor.

Schedule – More updates coming!

Week 1

Monday, Augu. 26: ENVS 198/498: Introduction: Introduction and overview of course & The Woltemade Big Problem Challenge (course project) & Matt Volrath’s presentation (here)

Assign: read The Woltemade Big Problem Challenge and Application Form (Due Spring’25, form not available yet!) and read about last spring’s efforts and find a few sources starting with stuff you know and care about (also try using ChatGPT, and Google) with ideas about environmental problems and ideas for solutions. Also: for reference, the video Matt showed, and his slides.
Assign: Watch this series of six videos (about 15 minutes): Business Model Canvas & create a document (“Augu 26 Comments”) in shared folder with a comment or two for each part. Business Model Canvas worksheet is here. Try to fit your idea into this model. Again, add some notes to the shared document.
Assign: read this chapter from a book by Grant Sabatier on stuff he claims ain’t taught in school. The real world exists.
Get Into Groups (see below) and sort communication

Week 2

Monday, Septe. 2: ENVS 198/498: WBP Challenge: Brainstorming I

Present/Discuss: The WBP Challenge and possible solutions (be ready to share thoughts, ideas, etc.)
Select: Two or three possible solutions per group.
Review: Slides from Matt V (week 1) & Slides from Matt V (week 2)
Assign: Guesstimate on Cost Structure & Revenue (see ppt) & refine towards material for Application Form (coming!)
Due: Google doc (“Septe 2 Comments”) with sources & comments, questions, etc. (in shared folder)

Week 3

Monday, Septe. 9: ENVS 198/498: WBP Challenge: Brainstorming II

Present/Discuss: The WBP Challenge and refined solutions (be ready to share thoughts, ideas, etc.). Blake & Swanson: Sustainable Business (slides)
Prepare: Finalized environmental solution & 2-3 minute Elevator Pitch for Wed., Septe. 30 STF Meeting
Assign: Finish research (scholarly, web) for Application Form (Due Spring ’25)
Due: Google doc (“Septe 9 Comments”) with pitch, etc. (in shared folder): Pitch Template Here

Week 4

Monday, Septe. 16: Present pitch of Proposed Project

Present: Present pitch of Proposed Project

Week 5

Monday, Septe. 23: Present pitch of Proposed Project (cont.)

Present: Present pitch of Proposed Project (cont.)

Thursday, Sept. 26: OWU Connection Conference: attend talk by Marius Smit on Plastic Waste (3 pm, Ham Wil Benes Room)

Week 6

Monday, Septe. 30: ENVS 198/498: STF Meeting: SNC Panel on Environment & Election (Merrick, 3rd Floor)

Week 7

Monday, Octo. 7: ENVS 198/498: After OWU: Ray Hardesty, OWU ’19, Mid-Ohio Food Collective  + Taylor Berschet, Hilltop Farm Manager (honorary OWU degree) +  Maddie Coalmer, OWU ’17, Horticulturist for the City of Dublin, OH.

ENVS 198: Due: 198  document (share with Krygier & mentor)
ENVS 498: Due: 498 document (share with Krygier & mentees)
Do: Make sure to share your documents with students reviewing your document
Assign: Your Environmental Pitch documented for submission to the competition in the spring. No form yet, but for now, please do the following before your presentation as part of this class on Monday, October 28:

1. 1. 1. 1. What is the title of your pitch?
         2. Describe your business idea: problem and solution. (200 words or less)
         3. Please create a video (3 minutes or less), OR summary document, OR slides with a brief overview of your idea.

Week 8

Monday, Octo. 14: ENVS Faculty Showcase + Jimmy John’s Sammiches!

Week 9:

Monday, Octo. 21: ENVS 198/498: Pitch Planning for Oct. 28 Pitch Presentation

Week 10

Monday, Octo. 28: STF Meeting (Merrick, 3rd Floor): Present Pitches at STF

ENVS 198: Due: Read and commented on drafts of 498 documents
ENVS 498: Due: Read and commented on drafts of  198 documents

Week 11

Monday, Nove. 4: Presentations: ENVS 498 Seniors: Achievement & Assessment

ENVS 498: 8 Minutes: Charlton, Domenech, Godsey, Luna

Week 12

Monday, Nove. 11: ENVS 198/498: Presentations: ENVS 498 Seniors: Achievement & Assessment

ENVS 498: 8 minutes: Dodds, Katterhenrich, McNichols, Ramsey, Thrasher

Week 13

Monday, Nove. 18: STF Meeting (Merrick, 3rd Floor)

Week 14: Thanksgiving Break

Monday, Nove. 25: No Class meeting!

Week 15

Monday, Dece. 2: 198/498: Presentations: ENVS 198 Future Plans

ENVS 198: 3 minutes: Buco, Datta, Duncan, Ebeling, Evans, Flores, Fort, Gensler, Guctas, Henderson, Heumasse, Horton, Jolliff, Mulloy, Sanford, Tadokoro, Tooill, Urton
ENVS 198: Due: revised, final Freshman/Sophomore E&S Plans for the Future Document
ENVS 498: Due: revised, final Senior E&S Achievement & Assessment Document

Course Projects

Team Name	ENVS 498: Seniors	ENVS 198: Fresh/Sophomores
Environmental Day Camp (Bananaquits)	Abby Charlton	Sophie Buco Joe Connor Kheya Datta
Lacing Fields: An Alternative Form of Pest Control (Bustards)	Ellie Dodds Amelia Thrasher	Braidy Duncan Chloe Ebeling Daniella Flores
A Stake in the Ground: Live Staking (Horned Screamers)	Savannah Domenech	Roan Fort Cooper Gensler Claire Evans
Rooftop Roots: Urban Gardens (Satanic Goatsuckers)	Gwen Godsey Auzlynd Katterhenrich	Melissa Guctas Camryn Henderson Clair Heumasse
Rural Connections: Market and Garden (Tiny Tyrant-Manakins)	Lydia Luna	David Horton Hazel Joliff Gaia Malloy
EcoHaul Fish & Compost (Oleaginous Hemispinguses)	Ethan McNichols Mason Ramsey	Rayla Sanford Haruno Tadokoro Megan Tooill Iris Urton

I. Group Projects: The Woltemade Big Problem Challenge

For the Fall of 2024, ENVS 198/498 will take yet another stab at The Woltemade Big Problem Challenge (see the Application Form (to be added later). This will be a group project (see groups below: will be assigned Week 1). You have probably not done something like this before, and feel suitably unprepared. That’s fine! We’ll give it the old college try!

II. Individual Assessments & Plans

Seniors (498) will produce a reflective and critical assessment of their experiences at OWU as an E&S major. You’ll present a 10-minute overview of this document in the last few weeks of the semester (see schedule). Please make slides for the presentation and put them in the shared folder.

Freshmen/sophomores (198) will produce a plan for their future at OWU, based on experiences in the course (including networking and interaction with seniors). You’ll present a 5-minute overview of this document in the last few weeks of the semester (see schedule). Slides are not required, but if you have them save the slides in the shared folder.

Non-majors in the class: Feel free to modify this format to fit your circumstances (talk to Krygier)

Senior E&S Achievement & Assessment Document: 3-4 pages includes

• 1 paragraph: Personal introduction, statement of (to the best of your memory!) your general academic goals when you started at OWU, and where you find yourself now, in your final year at OWU. You can look back at the stuff you wrote for ENVS 198 as most of you took that course!
• 1 page: Achievement: Review of key E&S-related coursework, research, internships, OWU Connection experiences, travel abroad, extracurricular activities, and outcomes. What accomplishments are you most proud of? Or which were most impactful?
• 1-2 pages: Documentation of two experiences that had the most positive impact on your OWU E&S education; two things you, in hindsight, found lacking in your E&S education or things you regret not doing (or doing sooner). The latter can include suggestions for modifications or developments of the E&S program at OWU
• 1 page: Describe and reflect on the business pitch effort we undertook the first month of the Conversations class. As a senior, was this a useful effort? Was the entrepreneurial / business way of thinking about the environment (and how to change it) something of value to you and your group? What are the pros and cons of including this in this course?
• 1 paragraph: Imagine you are in a job interview for your dream job, and you need to explain to your potential employer, in a few eloquent sentences, what relevant employment skills your environmental coursework and projects have allowed you to develop. Look at the list of transferable skills provided for ideas and write a short paragraph describing your skills and strengths in clear, concise, accessible language. Think of this as your “elevator pitch” for your future!
• 1 paragraph: Advice for freshmen and sophomore majors
• 1 paragraph: Your future plans, and how your efforts at OWU shaped them.

Freshman/Sophomore E&S Plans for the Future Document: 3 pages include

• 1 paragraph: Personal introduction, statement of your general academic goals at OWU, and where you hope to find yourself when you graduate from OWU.
• 1 page: Articulate specific parts of your OWU education you have and plan to participate in: this includes E&S-related coursework, research, internships, OWU Connection experiences, OWU Career Connection experiences, travel abroad, and extracurricular activities. Not quite knowing is OK, but speculate on what opportunities seem to be of more interest to you.
• 1 page: Comment on your experience in ENVS 198 this semester. This includes readings and discussions, visitors, STF meetings, etc.
• 1 page: Describe and reflect on the business pitch effort we undertook the first month of the Conversations class. As a newish major, was this a useful effort? Was the entrepreneurial / business way of thinking about the environment (and how to change it) something of value to you and your group? What are the pros and cons of including this in this course?
• 1 paragraph: What is the most important goal you have at this point at OWU, and what do you need to do to make it happen? For example, you want to write a TPG grant to travel to the Amazon, get academic and internship experience with urban planning, combine research on water quality with a travel learning course or semester abroad, etc. What are the biggest impediments to this goal?