Why Grace is the Best College for Environmental Science

A faculty blog by Dr. Nate Bosch

Grace College’s environmental science program began in 2008. Prior to that year, Dr. Ronald Manahan, the institution’s fifth president, taught a course on environmental ethics. As a strong proponent of Creation care, Manahan had an ongoing interest in starting an environmental program at Grace. So when community members expressed a need for a center to care for local lakes and streams, he saw an opportunity not only to start the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams but to launch an environmental science program with it. 

In 2007 — the same year I completed my Ph.D. in limnology from the University of Michigan — I received an invitation from Manahan to spearhead these initiatives. I hit the ground running in 2008, and over the past 16 years, environmental science at Grace has grown to become a robust program that prepares environmental professionals to make a difference in all areas of the field. And now, I would tell you that Grace is the best college for environmental science in the country. I know it’s a bold claim, but here are my reasons why.

1. Our students graduate with three to four years of experience. 

Since the program’s inception, we have had 201 student assistants work for the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams. The Lilly Center is a division of Grace College, but it operates as an independent nonprofit that pulls in grant and donor funding so that students have the chance to operate as environmental professionals before they even graduate college. The center invites students to participate in unique research that serves our community, prepares them for a career, and inspires them to do meaningful work. 

Currently, we have 42 paid student interns performing various environmental professions, and when they graduate, they will already have three to four years of experience. This is important because right now, a lot of environmental hiring managers for entry-level jobs are still looking for three years of experience. So while graduates from other colleges with environmental science majors are stuck with limited career opportunities, our students are able to outcompete other students and move immediately into those jobs. This, to me, is one of the most compelling reasons we are the best college for environmental science.

Additionally, the Lilly Center does great work for our community. Students are not only getting experience and honing their skills, but they are also seeing the environmental impact an organization can have. It’s inspiring for a lot of our students and confirms their decision to go into an environmental field. For a small subset, it makes them rethink their direction, which is good too. They try it out, and it’s not quite what they thought, so they look to the other great options at Grace so they can move into an area that’s an even better fit for how God’s wired them.

2. Our program is uniquely hands-on, feet-wet, and outdoor-based. 

Building off of my first point, it’s important to mention that our students are constantly filling up their toolboxes with valuable experience while on campus. I genuinely think we do this better than any of the other top schools for environmental science.

Our students are not just learning about trees –they are outside measuring, identifying, and doing statistical analysis on trees that we have right here on campus. This is possible because Grace has all five major ecosystems of the Midwest right here on campus: 

Forest Communities – We have 70 acres of forest land of many varieties right here on campus: upland forest, lowland forest, older forest, and younger forest. This wide variety of forest communities allows us to study and develop skills first-hand. 

Prairies – We are restoring three prairie plots on campus. We do prescribed burns and plant native prairie species in order to restore what once was a huge part of the Midwest. These tall grass prairies, towering more than eight feet tall, are amazing communities where elk and bison once lived. 

Wetlands – Grace has about 50 acres of wetland on campus. We are home to ephemeral wetlands, which means they dry up at certain times of the year, as well as marshlands and swamps. 

Stream – Just down the hill from campus, Cherry Creek flows into Winona Lake. Students are frequently out in the streams, learning about them and developing skills in data collection.

Lake – Our students spend a lot of their studies out in boats on the lake, taking samples from various layers. Sometimes we’re even jumping in the water and swimming around. Other times, we’re grabbing bloodworms in the mud 80 feet below the surface. It’s always a fun time at the lake! 

3. We’re large enough to specialize and small enough for mentorship. 

Our program is large enough to have very specific classes at our own campus. Students in the program are required to take “Aquatic Ecology,” “Environmental Analytical Chemistry,” and “Environmental Ethics.” They participate in specified internships and research opportunities right here on our campus. But at the same time, our program is small enough that students aren’t just a number. While many of the top schools for environmental science can boast in their course lists, they cannot claim personalization like we can. 

Our students are mentored individually for just how God has made them. We can tailor their experience here at Grace to help them uniquely prepare for whatever God has for them after they graduate. Our professors are not just figures who lecture on a stage — they are advisors, teachers, and mentors to their students whom they know by name. This paired with our subject matter expertise makes us the best college for environmental science. 

4. We teach environmental science with a biblical foundation and faith integration.  

I save this point for last because, to me, it is the most important distinctive of our program. I love to teach students environmental skills, but it loses its meaning if I am not simultaneously encouraging them to follow the One who created it all.

There are a lot of Christian colleges with environmental science majors, but the programs aren’t actually Christian in practice. We have a strong Biblical foundation for why and how we take care of God’s creation. In the environmental field, that’s not very common. It makes it that much more rewarding and makes us that much more unique for students and their families that are seeking a faith-integrated environmental education. 

To learn more about the best college for environmental science, meet our faculty, and see all five major ecosystems of the Midwest for yourself, schedule a visit to Grace. We’d love to show you around! 

Dr. Nate Bosch serves as the dean of the School of Science and Engineering, professor of environmental science, and director of the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams at Grace College. He received his Ph.D. in 2007 from the University of Michigan in the field of limnology, the study of freshwater lakes and streams. He has more than 20 peer-reviewed publications spanning research in the Great Lakes to smaller inland lakes and streams