Biology research goes global and so do opportunities for CBS students
“Beyond the scientific merits of the research, I found great value in the cultural experiences in each place.” — Paul Gugger
“While I was there I got involved in local conservation efforts and taught lessons at the local school. … You become invested in the area.” — Annika Moe
“The luxury of a safe, warm, dry laboratory doesn’t exist in the field. You’re confronted with unique and difficult challenges at every turn.” — Stephani Salute
Study abroad is a rite of passage for many college students: Learning a language, immersing oneself in a different culture, experiencing culture shock, enlarging one’s sense of the world. But for biology students, experiencing other cultures goes beyond seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. It’s an opportunity to work with world-class researchers in the field and within far-flung academic communities.
Experience abroad is becoming increasingly valuable as biologists address global-scale problems such as infectious disease and climate change. Biology students who venture abroad come back with a trove of political, cultural, personal and scientific knowledge that positions them well to take on those challenges.
Soon, that unique blend of experience could translate into an academic opportunity. College of Biological Sciences Dean Robert Elde envisions a certificate in global biology for students who spend time conducting research in at least three different countries. “Scientific innovations often are rooted in a specific community even in this globalized world,” says Elde. “Spending time abroad on scientific pursuits is a lesson in the culture of science and what it means to be a scientist in a global sense.”
One way for students to gain that kind of experience: work with CBS faculty on location. “The college is trying to boost connections between students and faculty who already do research abroad,” says Robin Wright, associate dean for faculty and academic affairs. “It’s about more than just research. It’s about an appreciation of the global nature of the scientific problems we face.”
Ecology research provides a case in point. CBS faculty conduct field work in locations around the world from Papua New Guinea to Costa Rica.
Jennifer Powers, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, regularly brings undergraduate and graduate students along to help with her field work in Panama and Costa Rica. Powers notes that the realities of working in locations even within one region of the globe can be strikingly different. “When I started out I’d only dug holes in the soils of North Atlantic Costa Rica. But in Panama it’s totally different,” says Powers, in regard to the ecosystems and the politics. “The idea of having people visit multiple places is fantastic.”
Jeannine Cavender-Bares, an assistant professor in the same department as Powers, sees multiple benefits in immersing students in an international research experience early. She was recently awarded a five-year grant to continue field work in Costa Rica and Honduras, and plans to bring undergraduate and graduate students along.
“A lot of the biodiversity in the world is at lower latitudes,” says Cavender-Bares. “And if we’re interested in trying to play a role in preserving that diversity and conserving ecosystems it makes sense to collaborate with our partners in other parts of the world.” Conducting research abroad provides real-world lessons in how to do that effectively. “You definitely work with a different rhythm and set of expectations. … You have to deal with all sorts of unexpected things. Insect attacks, washed out roads, destroyed experiments from pathogens.”
Cavender-Bares and Regents Professor David Tilman, a world-renowned ecologist, are working to set up a special seminar that would help connect the dots of global-scale ecology. “It’s becoming clear that it’s not possible to solve problems in isolation,” says Cavender-Bares. “We’re trying to set up a distributed seminar across multiple institutions to look at major environmental issues in the context of complexity, then develop field courses in Mexico and China where we can apply that framework to a regional situation.”
Conducting research abroad is commonplace for many ecologists, but says Robert Elde, lab-based biology research—especially in a developing country—provides a lesson in the ways science and scientific research support society. “Students observe firsthand the stark contrast between less developed countries and ours in terms of resources and investment in science and technology, and how that connects to the economy.”
At the other end of the spectrum, some countries are gaining momentum in scientific research, boosting competition as well as potential for collaboration. “We don’t live in the same world we did even 10 years ago,” says Robin Wright. “As a country we’re competing with people all over. We have to ensure that our students develop a global understanding and appreciation. Having the skills to work with people who think differently will be increasingly important.” —Stephanie Xenos
