Faculty Profile
Michael Beevers
Professor of Environmental Studies; John J. and Ann Conser Curley Chair in Global Education (2011)
Contact Information
Kaufman Hall Kaufman Hall 106
717-254-8036
Bio
Dr. Beevers specializes in global environmental politics with an emphasis on the linkages between the environment, climate change, conflict and peace. His research has been published in numerous journals including Global Governance, International Peacekeeping, African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review and The Extractive Industries and Society, among others. Dr. Beevers' book, Natural Resource Governance and Peacebuilding in the Aftermath of Armed Conflict (Palgrave-MacMillan) was published in 2018. His work has also appeared in numerous edited volumes and he contributed chapters to the Handbook of Environmental Conflict and Peacebuilding and Handbook of Environmental Security (Routledge). Dr. Beevers has worked as a Research Associate at Princeton University and as an expert consultant at the World Bank and United Nations Environment Programme. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland and is currently a Research Fellow at the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS) at Hiroshima University. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger.
Education
- B.S., Western Illinois University, 1993
- M.S., M.P.A., University of Washington, 2004
- Ph.D., University of Maryland, 2011
2026-2027 Academic Year
Fall 2026
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
ENST 330 Environmental Policy
This course examines the effect of environmental policies on environmental quality, human health and/or the use of natural resources at local, national and international levels. It considers the ways scientific knowledge, economic incentives and social values merge to determine how environmental problems and solutions are defined, how risks are assessed and how and why decisions are made. The course examines a range of tools, processes and patterns inherent in public policy responses and covers issues ranging from air and water pollution and toxic and solid waste management to energy use, climate change and biodiversity protection. A combination of lectures, case studies, and field trips will be used.
Prerequisite: 161 and 162, or permission of instructor.
ENST 500 Path of Methane
Spring 2027
INST 290 Environment, Conflict & Peace
Cross-listed with ENST 372-01.
ENST 372 Environment, Conflict & Peace
Cross-listed with INST 290-03.
ENST 406 Dickinson Climate Resilience
Increasing risks and hazards caused by a changing climate will impact Dickinson College. For this reason, it is essential that the college continue to develop, adopt and implement a climate resilience plan and take all appropriate actions across a range of areas, including human health and well-being, infrastructure and grounds, continuity of operations, and college finances to build resilience. This project-based senior seminar will introduce students to the importance of campus climate resilience and provide opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders, conduct research, and design policies, procedures and protocols that will benefit Dickinson and the wider community.