Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

1
Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
Address Crises in Health of Marine
Ecosystems (Dead Zones, Overfishing, Ecosystem
Collapse) US Commission on Ocean Policy Pew
Oceans Commission
2
Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
Integrated Graduate Education and Research
Training (IGERT)
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions
3
IGERT
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions
A new type of graduate education Our program
links training in the biological, social,
economic and political issues of marine
conservation with technical competence in
informatics and communication skills
Our goal To prepare the next generation of
professionals who can both identify and solve
problems facing the worlds oceans for placement
in government, NGOs and academia.
4
IGERT
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions
Program Requirements and Opportunities
? Intensive summer program ? Interdisciplinary
Case studies (MSEP) ? Expanded PhD committee

• International internships
• Mini-grant program
• 30,000 stipend 10,500 tuition and fees

5
IGERT
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions
IGERT Summer Program 17 credit lecture and lab
course PhD, Masters and Certificate Students
Weeks 1 2 Intro to marine biological and
physical sciences Weeks 3 4 Intro to
economics and policy Week 5 Ecosystems Week
6 Special guest lectures (governance and
law, NGOs, informatics) Week 7
Communications Week 8 Case studies (oil
spills, dead zones, mercury, land-sea
coupling) Week 9 Group projects

6
IGERT
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions

Kristen Gruenthal
Christine Whitcraft
Kate Hanson
Loren McClenachan
Maria Damon
Jason Murray
A Selection of the 2003-2005 IGERT Cohorts
Ayana Johnson
Sheila Walsh
Gustavo Paredes
Marco Hatch
Melissa Ohman
Jeff Wescott
Ben Neal
7
IGERT
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions
Benefits

• Increase in quality and number of applicants
  (many are also NSF or EPA graduate fellows) - 1/3
  of SIO applicants!!
• Increase in donor support (including for foreign
  students)
• Increase in student diversity (matching grants
  from UCSD)
• Increase in student registration for IGERT
  classes (graduate and undergraduate)
• Increase in number of faculty and departments
  participating (e.g. Economics, International
  Relations/Pacific Studies, Anthropology,
  Communications, NOAA Fisheries, San Diego Super
  Computer)
• Creation of MAS program using IGERT courses
• Innovative curriculum development
• Inspiration for campus-wide sustainability
  initiative

8
IGERT
Marine Biodiversity Understanding Threats and
Providing Solutions
Challenges

• Funding for foreign students administrative
  support
• Long-term sustainability of program
• Buy-in from faculty with traditional
  orientation
• Incentives for faculty participation
• Breadth vs depth in program focus
• Living up to promises made
• Burn-out in core faculty

BUT CERTAINLY NO REGRETS!!