By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-1000859.mp3
Beacon, NY – A unique opportunity awaits a select group of undergraduate students this summer - a venture titled "River University" that includes sailing the Hudson River aboard the sloop Clearwater, in a bid to foster environmental awareness. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
River University is a new offering from Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, a subsidiary of Clarkson University. The program launches July 8th and runs through August 3rd. John Cronin is leading the faculty of "River University" - "What better summer classroom for college students than the Hudson River, a birthplace of the modern environmental movement?" said Cronin. "River University will examine the environmental law, science, and technology that revolutionize the way we understand and protect ecosystems across the nation.
Successful completion of the River University program will earn the undergraduate nine credits. Tim Sugrue is Dean of the business School at Clarkson as well as President and CEO of the Beacon Institute - "River University is designed to provide students with a first-hand experience the Hudson through three different lenses - ecology, engineering and policy - and then teach them to apply their knowledge to real-world problems." Students will have a chance to put into practice what they've learned in the classroom in five days aboard the sloop Clearwater as she sails the Hudson River.
"Clearwater, America's Environmental Flagship, is proud to join with Beacon Institute and Clarkson University to present River University," said Jeff Rumpf, Clearwater's executive director. "Educational sails on board Clearwater provide hands-on learning experiences and direct contact with the Hudson River, key to engaging students as they study and encounter the estuary, its inhabitants, and witness the ecosystem - and prerequisite to our youth creating a personal connection to the environment and ensuring that the mighty Hudson remains America's most influential river."
John Cronin says the final exam for the class will entail a mock public hearing of the Clean Water Act. The program is now accepting applications: River University is aimed at any undergraduate with an interest in the environment. It will be open to 25 undergraduate students, who will attend classes taught by Clarkson faculty at the Beacon Institute's facilities on the banks of the Hudson River at historic Denning's Point in Beacon.