Wednesday, 9 November 2005 - 3:00 PM
263-3

Real Estate and Land Development: the Next Frontier.

Michael Vepraskas1, David Lindbo2, Aziz Amoozegar2, and H. J. Kleiss1. (1) North Carolina State Univ., Soil Science Dep., Box 7619, Raleigh, NC 27695, (2) NC State University, Soil Science Dep., Box 7619, Raleigh, NC 27695-7619

Declining enrollments in Soil Science programs can be reversed if curricula are changed to address new needs. In states with large urban areas, soil scientists are employed with consulting companies that deal with real estate issues for land development projects. Duties include soil mapping, site evaluation for septic systems, and delineation of wetlands. While most Soil Science curricula probably include training in two or more of these areas, the connection to the real estate and land development industry is not addressed. At NC State University we are developing a new Soil Science major that will be part of a university program in Real Estate and Land Development. Other departments that may be included are Economics, Landscape Architecture, and Civil Engineering. This new curricula should be attractive to new students because it is a subject they are familiar with, and it has an attractive image. The curricula connects Soil Science to the multibillion dollar home-building industry which can create more internship opportunities as well as support research and endow chairs. In addition, this new curricula cannot be easily copied by departments other than Soil Science because soil science topics remain the core.

Back to Where Is the Next Generation of Soil Scientists?
Back to Z01 Soil Science Education

Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 6-10, 2005)