IRIS aims to provide students with the education they need to tackle the complex climate and resilience problems of the future.
We offer a range of interdisciplinary courses that give students real-world experience in natural infrastructure engineering, nature-based solutions modeling, the ecological know-how to advocate for nature-positive design, and an understanding of the social and economic implications of resilience challenges in communities, among other topics.
Fundamentals of Natural Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions (ENVE 8310)
Fundamentals of Natural Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions, ENVE 8310, 3 Hours
Offered every fall semester.
Description: What is natural infrastructure? What are nature-based solutions? What purpose do they serve? How do they work? How does science and engineering inform their design, construction, and operation? How does current policy shape, enable, and constrain their use? These and other questions will be addressed in this graduate course, one of the requirements for the new Natural Infrastructure Graduate Certificate.
The White House defines nature-based solutions as: “Actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges, simultaneously providing benefits for people and the environment.” In 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14072 that included commitments for “deploying nature-based solutions to tackle climate change and enhance resilience.” A diversity of public and private organizations in the US and around the world are advancing and implementing these approaches to achieve a range of purposes and benefits.
The course will introduce students to the concepts, theories, and applications of natural infrastructure (NI) and nature-based solutions (NbS) at multiple scales, including site, watershed, and regional scales. Students will be presented with the best available information on innovative use of natural processes and systems to support sustainable and resilient systems and multi-purpose benefits (social, environmental, and economic) in different upland, riverine, coastal, and infrastructure contexts. The course will also provide students with knowledge on the integration of design, engineering, ecological, and economic perspectives in planning, implementing, and adaptively managing NI and NbS that work in harmony with conventional infrastructure and human systems.
Instructors:
Todd S. Bridges, Ph.D.
Office: Boyd 708C Email: todd.bridges@uga.edu
Brian P. Bledsoe, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
Office: STEM2 3214 Email: bbledsoe@uga.edu
Engineering Design of Natural and Hybrid Infrastructure (ENVE 8320)
Engineering Design of Natural and Hybrid Infrastructure, ENVE 8320, 3 Hours
Offered every spring semester.
This immersive engineering design course will equip students with natural infrastructure design concepts and their applications in riverine and coastal settings. Students will have access to state-of-the-art information, exploring the essence, relevance, and practical implementation of engineering and ecological design principles to enhance infrastructure performance, efficiency, and benefits across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Design projects will be a core component of the course, offering students the opportunity to actively contribute to real-world projects that utilize natural infrastructure in both riverine and coastal contexts.
Field Experiences in Natural Infrastructure (ENVE 8330)
Field Experiences in Natural Infrastructure, ENVE 8330, 1 Hour
Offered every fall and spring semester.
Experiential, field-based course covering various topics related to the planning, design, and execution of natural and hybrid infrastructure for water resources, civil, and environmental systems. Students explore these topics through fieldwork components, engaging in hands-on activities and gaining practical experience through observing and analyzing interactions of natural and conventional infrastructure.