PREPARING FUTURE SCIENTISTS AND OPENING PUBLIC DIALOG
Our team is committed to providing opportunities for education and outreach related to our research. In everything we do, we train students of Geology, Biology, and other Earth Science disciplines for futures in "STEM" fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Undergraduate students are a key feature of our field and laboratory work, and play a vital roll in the successful completion of our project. During our October 2013 trip to the Philippines, we worked closely with undergraduates at the University of the Philippines who came with us to the field locations. These students learned our field and sampling techniques, as well as site-preservation concepts. Our laboratories employ and mentor undergraduates in the analysis of the samples that we collected in the field.
Graduate students, as every academic knows, are the life-force of any research project. If you visit our "people" tab above, you will see that there are 5 graduate students currently involved in this research. We fully acknowledge that we would never succeed without their curiosity, enthusiasm, and drive for knowledge! In return, we strive to provide our students with the training needed to become successful scientists, whether in the private sector or academia. This includes opportunities to develop their own mentoring skills, working alongside undergraduate students.
Most importantly, we hope that in our travels and interactions, we always leave behind a positive message to the local citizens and junior scientists that we meet. Public involvement and support of science is critical for building a more successful world economy. In this project, we are working closely with the council for Protected Area Management for the Manleluag Park Preserve (under the auspices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources). We are developing educational banners that the council will hang in the Manleluag Preserve to communicate the purposes and outcomes of our research, and the impact on their community. We are also developing educational materials for teachers and students in preschool, and K-12. It is our hope that these materials can be used to promote awareness and excitement for STEM fields.
Graduate students, as every academic knows, are the life-force of any research project. If you visit our "people" tab above, you will see that there are 5 graduate students currently involved in this research. We fully acknowledge that we would never succeed without their curiosity, enthusiasm, and drive for knowledge! In return, we strive to provide our students with the training needed to become successful scientists, whether in the private sector or academia. This includes opportunities to develop their own mentoring skills, working alongside undergraduate students.
Most importantly, we hope that in our travels and interactions, we always leave behind a positive message to the local citizens and junior scientists that we meet. Public involvement and support of science is critical for building a more successful world economy. In this project, we are working closely with the council for Protected Area Management for the Manleluag Park Preserve (under the auspices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources). We are developing educational banners that the council will hang in the Manleluag Preserve to communicate the purposes and outcomes of our research, and the impact on their community. We are also developing educational materials for teachers and students in preschool, and K-12. It is our hope that these materials can be used to promote awareness and excitement for STEM fields.