The "Power of the Collective"
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GOMC2024-logo.jpgPreparing Gulf Region Change Agents through Undergraduate Education
T. L. Filbert1, K. Ernst2, R. Kafoury3, R. Gisewhite4, M. Besonen5;
1National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, DC, 2Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 3Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 4University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 5Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX.
Abstract
The Gulf of Mexico region faces complex and urgent challenges - wicked and ill-defined problems where social and environmental processes intersect to exacerbate climate change, ecosystem degradation, poverty, and inequality. Responding to these challenges and transitioning to a more resilient and sustainable Gulf region will require a new generation of designers, engineers, civic leaders, scientists, educators, writers and artists, activists, policymakers, and others who can think and work across disciplines and differences intersections of people, society, and nature in light of the largest questions of the regional and planetary moment. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Scholars Program (GSP) provides funding to higher education institutions throughout the Gulf region to establish undergraduate education programs dedicated to preparing these change agents. This panel consists of several GSP faculty/staff and educational scholars to discuss the types of institutional innovation, educational/social theory, teaching/learning, and campus practices that will be critical for preparing students as a new generation of change agents. Panelists will respond to questions such as: What knowledge, skills, abilities, and mindsets students must learn and develop to be change-agents around the wicked problems facing the Gulf region? What are movements and trends associated with higher education that present either barriers or opportunities for preparing students as change-agents? To what extent can place-based education prepare students as change-agents for the Gulf region in a “global age”? How can we strive toward a more generative integration of the humanities, arts, sciences, and engineering in preparing students to tackle hyper-complex Gulf challenges? It will require a new generation of change agents who can productively respond to the challenges facing the Gulf region at the
Session Category (Complete): 10. Preparing the Next Generation to Solve Wicked Problems: Approaches, Programs, and Initiatives in Education and Community Engagement
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education and other wicked problems in the Gulf.
H. U. Escobar1, R. Gisewhite2, R. Long3, R. Peters4, R. Wright5, R. Kafoury6;
1NASEM Gulf Research Program, Washington, DC, 2University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 3Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, 4Xavier University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, 5Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 6Jackson State University, Jackson, MS.
Abstract
The Gulf of Mexico region faces many challenges including environmental change and its impact to minoritized communities’ health and resilience. Along with recent societal shifts in the last four years[FT1] [HE2] , including but not limited to political extremism and setbacks in human rights, have shed some light on issues that have historically affected access to education, workforce, and overall community wellness for racial, gender and sexual identify, and religious minoritized groups among many others. These issues include but are not limited to a historical lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in programs and systems, especially given the historical context of the Gulf South. Educational, research, and scientific programs in the Gulf whose main actors truly represent the communities and society we live in, are crucial for a sustainable and just future of the region. A number of studies have pointed out how minoritized groups continue to face barriers in higher education and workforce access. This, along with recent movements to counter DEI progress can have a high impact on students, faculty, the academic community as a whole, and a definite long-term impact on society itself. This panel session will discuss the current panorama for DEI in education, opportunities, and lessons learned from recent events, as well as highlighting the proven societal effects of DEI programs and components for science and the workforce.
Session Category (Complete): 10. Preparing the Next Generation to Solve Wicked Problems: Approaches, Programs, and Initiatives in Education and Community Engagement
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