Flood Hydrology and Wine Ecology

Learn how climate change impacts wine production and how sustainable practices can reduce runoff, protect ecosystems, and support climate-resilient agriculture—while also safeguarding the economic viability of wineries and regional wine markets.

• Learn how factors that influence flooding will help city planners mitigate flood impacts and wine producers create more climate-resilient and ecologically sustainable landscapes.
• Participate in field visits to watershed protection sites and vineyards, and meet with local German agencies and wine industry stakeholders to see how businesses and governments collaborate on climate mitigation initiatives.
• Examine how New York’s Finger Lakes and German wineries face financial risks and supply chain challenges from flooding and water runoff—and explore adaptation strategies that protect both sustainability and market competitiveness.
• Discover the long history of wine production and wine culture in Germany, and consider how tradition, branding, and tourism influence modern business decisions in a changing climate.

No German language required - the program is taught in English.

This program explores the intersection of two key forces shaping the Würzburg, Germany region: flooding and wine production, and the economic and business implications tied to both. Located on the Main River, Würzburg faces recurring floods due to landscape changes, soil conditions, and shifting precipitation patterns—now intensified by climate change. These hydrologic changes affect city planning, infrastructure investments, and vineyard sustainability, which in turn influence regional economies and global wine markets.

During a spring 2026 class in Rochester, you will analyze how environmental and economic factors intersect in this region of Germany, focusing on the financial risks and opportunities created by climate-driven changes in wine production. While in Germany in May, you'll collaborate with students at Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) to develop advanced flood and landscape models, evaluate urban strategies for flood mitigation, and consider their cost-benefit impacts. You’ll also examine vineyard ecology in both Würzburg and New York’s Finger Lakes region—two renowned wine-producing areas—comparing how growers, businesses, and local governments adapt to protect both sustainability and profitability.

While in Germany, you will stay in a shared hotel or hostel room a few blocks from the THWS campus.

Course Term: Spring course at RIT, travel to Germany in early summer
Travel Dates: May 16-June 4, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:
Students can choose between registering for the COS/ENVS or HSPT/SCB version of the course.

• ENVS 389: Flood Hydrology & Wine Ecology (undergrad)
• ENVS 798: Flood Hydrology & Wine Ecology (graduate)
• HSPT 489: Flood Hydrology & Wine Ecology (Saunders College of Business)
  
  Students will be enrolled in a spring 2026 course at RIT and travel to Germany in early summer.

No course prerequisites, no German language required. Open to all undergraduate majors (2nd year and above will be given priority) and graduate students, with a 2.5 cumulative GPA or above.

Application Deadline: October 19, 2025
Note: An interview will be required as part of the application process. The faculty director(s) will contact applicants to complete these components either during the application process or after the application deadline.

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: Student budget worksheet - Flood Hydrology Wine Ecology Spring/Summer 2026 - outlines all program costs.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you are checking scholarship eligibility requirements and take note of scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

Applications are currently closed (application deadline has been reached)

Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Karl Korfmacher
Professor, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
College of Science
kfkscl@rit.edu

Matthew Vollmer
Lecturer, Department of MIS, Marketing, and Analytics
mvollmer@saunders.rit.edu