DESIGN and ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 150 
“Human-Environment Relations” 
Professor Gary Evans

Human-environment Relations is an interdisciplinary field concerned with how the built environment and human behavior inter-relate.  Most of our attention will be focused on what role the built environment plays in human health and well-being. How are health, moods and emotions, preference, performance, interpersonal relationships, communication, and organizational effectiveness influenced by the physical settings we live and work in?  We will also take a look at the flip side of this focus.  How do human decisions and behavior affect the environment?"
Course Design The extra-credit, optional sections of DEA 150 use weekly section meetings to test and explore the implications of intriguing lecture material, especially through experiments and other activities.  All of this work, including writing assignments, emphasizes active learning and field study. One of the two sections is designated for majors in Science of Natural and Environmental Systems. Assignments include observation and analysis of on-campus settings, the development of research questions in groups, ergonomic analysis, dorm design guidelines, and the development of a proposed discussion section activity for the course at large. The central project is a “Post-Occupancy Evaluation” study of a built environment, completed in teams with written reports and a formal presentation. Students in the WIM sections also take the course exams.