Institute of Environmental Sciences
at Miami University
Facilities
The Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES) is located in Boyd Hall and includes:
- Directorate, staff, and student offices
- classrooms, conference and seminar rooms
- computer laboratory
- student lounge with mailboxes and kitchen area
Field and Laboratory Resources
IES has field, lab, and teaching equipment for use by both students and staff. Field equipment includes:
- surveying instruments
- water sampling and analysis kits
- seines
- waders
- GPS units
- pressure transducers (for stream gauging, etc.)
Lab equipment includes:
- tabletop colorimeters
- filtration units
- incubators
- muffle furnace
- balances
- hot plates
Students working with departmental researchers may have access to additional equipment and facilities typical of a research university, e.g. electron microscopes, x-ray diffractometer, plasma spectrometer, mass spectrometers, atomic force/tunneling microscope. The University Instrumentation Laboratory has a permanent staff to assist in the manufacture and maintenance of special equipment.
IES also maintains several weather stations (at Boyd Hall, Oxford Community Park, and Ecology Research Center).
Computer Resources
The IES computer lab has:
- networked PCs
- scanner
- slide scanner
- photo and video editing station
Additional computer equipment is available in the IES office. Universal disk space is available for students and staff to create and maintain websites, and can be accessed through the PCs in the computer lab.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory
A well-equipped geographic information systems laboratory is housed in Shideler Hall as part of the Department of Geography. A wide range of software, high capacity microcomputers, digitizers, databases, and output devices dedicated to acquisition and analysis of spatial information (GIS, satellite remote sensing) are available. The GIS Laboratory has a full-time director, and instruction is available at several levels.
Library Resources
The university library system, which allocates an annual book budget for the use of IES, is a federal government depository housing substantial, well-balanced collections of books, reports, periodicals, and reference indexes related to the environment.
Especially noteworthy are resources in Brill Science Library (Hughes Hall) which include Envirofiche, a full-text source of environmentally-related materials, ranging from conferences to journal articles and The Environment Reporter, a weekly summary of environmental news and a source of federal and state laws and regulations.
The library's catalog and other indices are available on line both from on-campus and off-campus. Carrel space and/or book carts in the Science Library are usually available for advanced students. King Library, the main campus library, houses all government documents.
Natural Areas
Miami University's Natural Areas, within walking distance of Oxford and the main campus, consist of over 1000 acres and 15 miles of trails. These areas are used extensively by IES faculty and students for studies regarding ecosystem analysis, resource management and environmental education.
Ecology Research Center (ERC)
Teaching and research programs evaluating the effects of stresses (radiation, pesticides, and sludge) on experimental ecosystems take place at the Ecology Research Center. Facilities include small mammal enclosures, ponds, a well-equipped ecology research building with a solar observation platform, a number of stations to monitor data on climate conditions, precipitation chemistry, and dioxin levels, and equipment storage buildings.
Hueston Woods State Park
With 3,596 acres of park land and 625-acre Acton Lake, Hueston Woods 
is an excellent facility for environmental research and teaching purposes and for associated conference activities. Miami University uses this area for studies related to land-use planning, resource management, environmental education, and the structure and function of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Hueston Woods is one of the most popular state parks in Ohio.
Other Research Facilities
IES is a subcontractor to Shaw Environmental, Inc. in the operation of the U.S. EPA Test & Evaluation (T&E) Facility in Cincinnati. The T&E is located on the site of the Cincinnati Mill Creek sewage treatment plant, which treats more than 100 million gallons of sewage per day. The T&E contains a 25,000 sq. ft. main experiment area and houses additional laboratories, offices, a machine shop, and a greenhouse. Projects at the facility evaluate treatment methods for hazardous wastes and for municipal and industrial sewage. Faculty and students of the IES, as well as other units at the University, participate in the research and other operations at the T&E.