Green takes over math, science in College of Technology and Innovation

Growing up in Carmichael, Calif., a suburb of Sacramento, Douglas Green spent his early years camping, fishing and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, as well as teaching in a summer camp there.

“It was those experiences – being outdoors and teaching grade school students about ecology – that sparked my interest in the sciences,” says Green, associate professor in the Department of Applied Sciences and Mathematics in the College of Technology and Innovation at Arizona State University.

His fascination with soils and riparian ecology developed later. In graduate school, he worked on wetlands and soil chemistry, as well as studying the role of streams in structuring riparian areas.   In 1990, he took a faculty position with ASU teaching soils and riparian ecology.

Green has recently been appointed to chair the Department of Applied Sciences and Mathematics at the Polytechnic campus, bringing his dedication to science and twenty years as a member of the ASU community to help lead one of the fastest-growing programs at the campus.

He has been serving as an interim chair since July 2008, managing bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in general biology, urban horticulture, wildlife and restoration ecology, and biology for secondary education. He has worked to build lower-division biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics courses to serve the college’s needs as well as the requirements of other degree programs on the campus.

“Doing the things that we have done in the past year and a half has required tremendous effort, thoughtfulness, and creativity on the part of the department chairs in CTI,” says Dean Keith Hjelmstad of the College of Technology and Innovation.  “Doug has served as an outstanding member of the leadership team of the college.”

Enrollment at the Polytechnic campus is predicted to increase over the next 10 years, posing challenges for the department as well as providing opportunities for growth.

“We want to continue providing high quality instruction and lab experiences that fit the Polytechnic philosophy of hands-on learning,” Green says. “As enrollment in our existing undergraduate and graduate programs increases, we will need to focus on maintaining the health and quality of the programs, particularly in time-intensive upper-division courses.”

Despite the challenges he foresees, Green is enthusiastic about the future of applied science and math offered by the college.

“With our broad mix of disciplines, we are poised to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries and develop new curricula. The future will belong to those who can combine information and concepts from different disciplines to solve problems,” he says.

Green hopes to integrate coursework from Environmental Technology Management into existing programs, helping to prepare students for positions in fields such as environmental consulting. He also plans to establish a biotechnology concentration that would unite faculty members with expertise in diverse fields, including chemistry, biology, math and physics.

“The department of Applied Sciences and Mathematics is crucial to our success,” Hjelmstad says. “Every student we educate is impacted by our foundational math and science courses. Doug is excited about the ideas we have and our great opportunities to move forward with creative interdisciplinary discovery befitting our polytechnic values.”

In addition to being named chair, Green co-chairs programs in the Department of Technology Management.

Written by Kari Stallcop

Media contact:
Chris Lambrakis

(480)727-1173
lambrakis@asu.edu