The most challenging global problems of our age involve coupled human--environmental systems within the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. The undergraduate students currently in our classrooms will be tomorrow's global citizens, each of whom must be prepared to understand and reason about these challenges and ultimately make decisions about them in a variety of contexts. Postsecondary institutions, then, must afford students multidisciplinary, STEM-based experiences that help them develop this knowledge and skillset. In light of this need, we developed and taught an introductory undergraduate course--Water in Society--grounded in contemporary, real-world, "socio-hydrological" issues. The course, designed to serve the needs of both STEM majors and nonmajors, was designed and offered by an interdisciplinary team of hydrology, economics, and science education faculty. Key course themes include engagement with authentic data, scientific models and modeling, multimodal forms of scientific communication, and research-based best practices for effective STEM instruction. Here, we describe the first iteration of the course, including elements of the class that exemplify these primary course themes and pedagogical reflection on instructional experiences and student feedback.