Stakeholder-Driven Sustainable Development Experiences for Enhancing STEM Graduate Education

This program's mission is to enhance the next generation of professionals' ability to tackle complex sustainability challenges related to interconnected water-energy-food (WEF) systems. The program aims to engage underrepresented graduate students in one- to six-month international internships. These internships involve collaborative faculty teams focused on advancing technical, ecological, and social strategies for sustainable development. Participants also receive training in systems thinking, science communication, and global leadership, equipping them with the skills needed to make a significant impact in sustainability.

This project is a collaboration between The Pennsylvania State University (USA), UTADEO (Colombia), Charles Darwin Foundation (Ecuador), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Germany), Univ. Nacional Autónoma de Méxcio (Mexico), Tribhuvan Univ. (Nepal), Univ. of Auckland (New Zealand), Univ. Nacional de Ingeniería (Peru), and Univ. Surrey (UK). The project is funded by the US National Science Foundation.

To learn more, contact project leads Rachel Brennan (rab44@psu.edu) and Meng Wang (mxw1118@psu.edu). 

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Study abroad program offers collaborative sustainability research experiences

Manifestations of Climate Change in Extreme Events, Social and Biological Systems

This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program focuses on providing research opportunities for students to learn about manifestations of climate change in extreme events and how they impact ecosystem services mediated by pollinators. In this course, undergraduate students will engage in an eight-week research experience working with mentors from Penn State, Instituto de la Naturaleza, Tierra y Energía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, INTE PUCP, Peru’s Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria, and the Geophysical Institute of Peru. Projects will focus on investigating how extreme events are impacting the Peruvian region and developing responses to their damaging effects. Topics include characterizing extreme events of climate change, studying thermal ecology and foraging behavior of pollinators, regional distribution and budget of air pollutants, mitigation of El Niño phenomena, Drawdown solutions for climate change, social adaptation to extreme weather events, and developing and integrating technologies. Learn more here.  

This project is a collaboration between Julio Urbina, Margarita López-Uribe, Alfonso Mejía, José D. Fuentes, Rachel Brennan, Chris E. Forest, and Luis Duque of The Pennsylvania State University (USA), in partnership with Instituto de la Naturaleza, Tierra y Energía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, INTE PUCP (Peru), Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria (Peru), and the Geophysical Institute of Peru. The project is funded by two grants from the US National Science Foundation - IRES: 2107275 (Department of Electrical Engineering) and 1952470 (Department of Entomology).

To learn more, contact project leads Dr. Julio Urbina and Dr. Margarita Maria Lopez-Uribe: jvu1@psu.edu and mml64@psu.edu. 

In The News

Study abroad program offers collaborative sustainability research experiences

International Research Experience on Pollinators in a Changing World

This ten-week undergraduate research program offers students a unique opportunity to investigate how different abiotic factors and their interactions impact plant-pollinator interactions in tropical areas. Students in the program, with guidance from faculty advisers from U.S., Colombian, and Peruvian universities, undertake an interdisciplinary scientific exploration, generating and testing hypotheses, analyzing data, and communicating research findings, including scientific and policy-relevant implications, to other scientists and the public. Learn more about International Research Experience on Pollinators in a Changing World.

This project is a collaboration between Dr. Margarita Maria Lopez-Uribe, Dr. Luis O. Duque, Dr. Alfonso Ignacio Mejia, Dr. Julio Urbina, and Dr. Jose Fuentes of The Pennsylvania State University (USA). The project is funded by the US National Science Foundation.

To learn more, contact project lead Margarita Maria Lopez-Uribe: mml64@psu.edu.