The UPRRP Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainability is dedicated to education and research in the development of algae-based biofuels produced using thermochemical and anaerobic digestion processes, bringing together faculty from environmental science, chemistry, biology, and engineering.
The Puerto Rico Natural Resource Career Tracks. Future scientists and managers will require a robust and comprehensive understanding of a wide variety of disciplines to devise ways to manage resources while mitigating or adapting to future climate scenarios. This Collaborative Project will enhance recruitment of underrepresented Hispanic students from Puerto Rico HSIs to advanced education and employment opportunities in USDA agencies and related entities. Via experiential learning in the workplace and laboratory, we will prepare our students with tools, knowledge of basic concepts, and critical thinking necessary to address climate change impacts on agricultural and natural systems. Audience: In this Collaborative Project, we will individually guide students to employment opportunities via career guidance, student exchanges, and summer internships and other resume-building experiences. We will focus on making sure students have the requisite courses for their chosen USDA career by using the National Student Exchange or other means to tailor students’ coursework to potential employment opportunities. The collaborating campuses in this proposal do not necessarily have all the necessary courses required for USDA employment, so a student exchange program will be a key component of the project. We will use semester and summer research internships to bolster students’ specialized experiences. The collaborating institutions will increase the breadth of student training to include insect and microbial ecology, DNA sequencing, and phytopathology, techniques that will become increasingly important in workplace applications. A new outreach program will target K-12 students in low-income communities, exposing them to climate change effects on this culturally significant El Yunque Rainforest. Number of students: 13 per year; 25 overall Products: Workshops, field trips, semester research, summer career internships Outcomes/Impact: Increased student retention and employment placement For more information click here.https://www.facebook.com/USDANRCTPR/