The Climate and Society program is accepting applications for Spring 2022 teaching assistant positions for the following courses (descriptions available on the application form). Please share this information with your students where appropriate.
EESC GR5404: Regional Climate and Climate Impacts
EESC GR5407: Applications in Climate and Society
EESC GR5410: Climate Mobility
EESC GR5411: Climate Change and Disaster Management
EESC GR5412: Post Disaster and Economic Housing Recovery in the U.S.
EESC GR5414: Social Impacts, Business, Society, and the Natural Environment
Applicants must be currently enrolled, full-time Columbia University graduate students. Teachers College students are not eligible to apply. Students should expect to work 15 hours per week on average.
To Apply
Complete the application and submit a cover letter and resume (both in PDF format) here by November 21 at 11:55PM.
Course Descriptions
EESC 5404 Regional Climate and Climate Impacts
Time: Monday and Wednesday 1:10-2:25PM (section 1); Monday and Wednesday 2:40-3:55PM (section 2)
The dynamics of environment and society interact with climate and can be modified through use of modern climate information. To arrive at the best use of climate information, there is a need to see climate in a balanced way, among the myriad of factors at play. Equally, there is a need to appreciate the range of climate information available and to grasp its underlying basis and the reasons for varying levels of certainty. This includes subseasonal to seasonal climate forecasts for developing climate services for better adapting to climate stresses, and decadal and climate change projections for improved climate policy. Many decisions in society are at more local scales, and regional climate information considered at appropriate scales and appropriately translated to be accessible and salient to stakeholders is key. Students will build a sufficient understanding of the science behind the information, and analyze examples of how the information can and is being used. This course will prepare the ground for a holistic understanding needed for wise use of climate information.
*Familiarity with R and Python preferred
EESC 5407 Applications in Climate and Society
Time: Mondays 4:10-6:00PM
This seminar is focused on practical applications of climate information and research. The objective of the course is to teach students to integrate their understanding of climate science, social science, policy studies, and communications to address real world problems, especially those they will encounter in academia or on the job after graduation.
EESC 5410 Climate Mobility
Time: Tuesdays 10:10AM-12:00PM
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the social, demographic, economic, political, environmental, and climatic factors that shape mobility as well as the legal categories of international mobility (e.g., migrant versus refugee), exploring underlying drivers of the various types of migration – from forced to voluntary – in order to better understand current and future trends.
EESC 5411 Climate Change and Disaster Management
Time: Tuesdays 4:10-6:00PM
As climate related disasters continue to grow, the impacts of climate change and sustainable development on disaster threats and vulnerabilities are increasingly pronounced. Many of those in the field of disaster management are having to contend with increasing frequency and severity of disasters. Concurrently, disaster risk reduction and response frameworks are struggling to meet the challenge of 21st century disasters. At the same time, the field of disaster research is generating new insights into how the built environment, social structures, and ecological dynamics are intersecting to set the stage for disaster vulnerability, and thus can be better engineered for resilience. As this field continues to evolve, many who may not necessarily identify as disaster managers are also increasingly involved in disaster management in some capacity. With this, the dynamics of disaster risk reduction and disaster management are essential in working with communities and negotiating development activities in ways that are inclusive of a broad range of values, goals and incentive structures. This course is designed as an elective to the Climate and Society Master of Arts degree program. The purpose of this course is to prepare those entering the climate policy and practice workforce for addressing these challenges by providing an overview of the field of disaster management within the context of climate change and climate driven disasters.
EESC 5412 Post Disaster and Economic Housing Recovery in the U.S.
Time: Thursdays 2:10-4:00PM
As U.S. communities experience more heatwaves, floods, fires and hurricanes, there is an urgent need to reduce the risks from climate driven hazards and better prepare for disaster recovery. The field of disaster management is expanding rapidly to address longstanding economic and housing problems in relation to climate change, which have traditionally been left out of local planning efforts. Disaster practitioners are now asking new questions about legal frameworks, public programs that are available for communities to rebuild, the potential migration of large populations, and the equitable distribution of resources for disaster survivors and businesses without insurance. There are also several communities which have experienced devastating impacts from massive disasters, but have managed to build back stronger and more sustainably. It is therefore necessary to continually analyze best practices in the U.S. economic and housing recovery sectors. This course is designed as an elective to the Climate and Society Master of Arts degree program. The purpose of this course is to prepare those entering the climate policy and practice workforce for addressing these challenges and solutions by providing an overview of the fields of economic and housing recovery within the context of climate change and climate driven disasters.
EESC 5414 Social Impacts, Business, Society, and the Natural Environment
Time: Tuesdays 1:10 – 3PM
The Social Impact: Business, Society, and the Natural Environment course explores the relationship between corporations, society, and the natural environment. Specifically, it examines the ways in which governments, (for-profit and non-profit) organizations, and investors (fail to) have positive impact and manage issues where the pursuit of private goals is deemed inconsistent with the public interest.
