Andrew Smith, PhD, head of the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES), recently sat down with Dean David Brown, PhD, to discuss his research, the future of BEES and the unique relationship between philosophy and environmental studies. 

Smith’s current research focuses on the intersection of indigenous philosophy and environmental philosophy.  

“I found that looking through an indigenous lens back at the dominant culture provides a clearer sense of why we're having such difficulty transitioning to a sustainable culture and living in ways that are healthier and more conducive to our wellbeing,” Smith explained. “Centering indigenous considerations and indigenous ecological forms of knowledge provides me with a clearer sense of how to understand the environmental issues we face and, perhaps ideally, how to address them.” 

After he joined the College of Arts and Sciences as a professor of social and political philosophy, Smith began to notice that Drexel placed an emphasis on sustainability and environmental issues across the University, not just in terms of practice, but also in terms of research and education. That led him to interact with BEES students, who were required to take one of his courses. As BEES’s new department head, Smith hopes to continue to foster an interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies. 

“Since becoming department head, I've made it clear that I want to support the strength of the basic sciences and support the work in ecology and evolution that we're known for,” Smith said. “At the same time, [...] we have great opportunities to work with scholars throughout the College of Arts and Sciences and even beyond to strengthen our foothold in environmental policy, environmental politics and environmental justice, and those are issues that really reside in environmental studies.” 

Watch the full video below and learn more about BEES at Drexel here.