Judith Van Houten, PhD.
It’s hard to believe that we are already entering the fifth year of the RII Track-1, Research on Adaptation to Climate Change and the third year of the RII Track-2, Northeast Water Resources Network (NEWRnet) programs funded by the National Science Foundation.
In this issue of Watershed Moments you will find many examples of how each award has helped advance science and broaden participation throughout Vermont and beyond, especially through publications, grants, and outreach. Our capacity for building scientific infrastructure throughout the state and region has been strengthened by the talented and dedicated efforts put forth by the interdisciplinary team of faculty researchers, post-doctoral associates, graduate students, undergraduates, technicians, staff, high school and middle school participants contributing to these important questions that seek how to better understand the Lake Champlain Basin and contribute to the future of its health. An important part of this research includes feedback gathered through surveys from citizens, stakeholders and decision makers, that we couple with data collected from our advanced sensor network to for scenario testing through our innovative Integrated Assessment Model. A recent “Willingness to Pay Report” from members of the Policy and Governance team can be found in this issue.
Research conducted through RACC and NEWRnet has produced valuable insights for multiple stakeholders and partners throughout Vermont, Delaware and Rhode Island. Our Center for Workforce Development and Diversity at Saint Michael’s College (CWDD) ensures that we are reaching out broadly to capture a wide range of students interested in pursuing STEM careers. In this issue you will learn about the 7 recipients of the VT EPSCoR Native American and First Generation Scholarships and read about the interactive Mentoring Diverse Groups Workshop led by Drs. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux and Jason Stockwell.
You will see that our outreach to the Private Sector has expanded through a new partnership with Launch Vermont and a workshop series throughout Vermont on SBIR and STTR strategies for success. Our communications efforts took an exciting turn with the affiliation of Vermont EPSCoR with the Alan Alda Communicating Science Center. We held the first annual Workshop to great acclaim. The second workshop will be held in February 2016.
We hope that you will find this issue of our newsletter informative and inviting enough to keep in touch and visit our website for more updates and upcoming events.
In the meantime, enjoy this nice fall weather and all that the region and our valuable Basin have to offer!
