Panama City, Panama. March 9, 2010 -- The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) met last week in Panama to set the stage for the first study abroad program on climate change and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Program is offered to undergraduates and graduate students from all over the world and will take place during the months of June and July, 2010 in Panama.
This eight-week long Program includes professional training on Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The course is comprised of professors from UAH’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences, CATHALAC senior scientists, and guest lecturers from bilateral and multilateral development agencies. Students will also carry out a four week internship research project. UAH and CATHALAC have identified specific potential research topics that include: Human Impacts on Modern and Ancient Environments; Air Quality and Public Health; Forest Management; Agriculture; Land Use Planning; Watershed Management; Energy and Sustainability; Biodiversity; Ecotourism and Sustainable Development; and Population and Disease Impacts.
Students will draw inspiration about these potential research topics during the first four weeks of the Study Abroad program from lecturers and field visits. The internship provides students the opportunity to gain professional experience by working on group projects alongside CATHALAC’s research scientists who will guide and supervise their work. Emilio Sempris, Director of CATHALAC says ¨the Study Abroad Program was born to plant the seeds for the future generation of environmental ambassadors and leaders conscious of our limited natural resources and of our responsibility to better manage them¨.
Students will be culturally immersed by living with families in Panama City. They will take an intensive elementary Spanish course that will help them interact with the people of Panama and their host families, and will also explore Panama through cultural activities and tours. ¨We want students to have a rich and memorable experience in Panama of studying, researching, and living the Panamanian culture, language, traditions, and customs. The home stay experience is an integral part of the program, as it facilitates language learning, as well as active participation in both Panama’s culture and society¨ says Zvia Leibler- Danon, Study Abroad Program Coordinator.
The Study Abroad Program is accredited by UAH. Students can obtain six undergraduate credits through the Earth System Science Program or three graduate credits through UAH’s Department of Atmospheric Science, a top ten program in the United States, for participating in the Program. Credits are available for transfer from UAH to any US college or university for current non-UAH students.
SERVIR—the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System—an environmental observation platform that captures and generates a wealth of information for policymakers, researchers and students, will provide participants ample opportunity to harness satellite images and other data related to climate change, biodiversity, air quality, agriculture, weather, and natural disasters. SERVIR has been implemented jointly by CATHALAC, USAID and NASA for the past five years in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean and boasts the region’s largest holdings of satellite and geospatial data.
¨This program offers an exceptional opportunity for students and researchers, from developed and developing countries, to interact in the employment of space-based/derived information to address pressing and relevant climate change and sustainable development problems in this region of the world, and to integrate them with ongoing Earth Systems research projects being performed at CATHALAC and UAHuntsville¨ says John Horack, UAH’s Vice President for Research.
Further information is available on: www.cathalac.org/study_abroad
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About UAH
Founded in 1950, UAH is an autonomous campus of The University of Alabama System dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and service. UAH is a key participant in one of the nation's major international centers for advanced technological research and utilizes its position in this environment to provide unique opportunities and creative programs for students, faculty, and the community. UAH is committed to maintaining a diverse academic community of the highest quality, and to providing an environment that facilitates intellectual, cultural, personal, and professional growth. UAH fosters leadership, creative and critical thinking, clear communication, a respect for knowledge and the pursuit of truth, and an engagement in the challenge and pleasure of a lifetime of learning.
About CATHALAC
Established in 1992, CATHALAC is an autonomous international organization dedicated to promote sustainable development through applied research and development, education, and technology transfer in the areas of integrated watershed management, climate change, environmental modeling and analysis, and risk management in Latin America and the Caribbean.
CATHALAC
Zvia Leibler-Danon
Study Abroad Program Coordinator
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Physical Address: 111 City of Knowledge, Clayton
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 0843-03102
Panama, Republic of Panama
Tel: +507 3173206/3245/3207
Fax: ++ 507-317-3299
www.cathalac.org/study_abroad
