Rapid Environmental Change and the role of Interdisciplinary and Diverse Education

February 18, 2010

Carmen J. Cortez, Ph.D. Student Graduate Group in Ecology

Environmental Policy and Human EcologyUniversity of California Davis

Overview Rapid Environmental Change (REC)Rapid Environmental Change (REC) REC in CaliforniaREC in California Interdisciplinary responseInterdisciplinary response California public universities missionCalifornia public universities mission University of California graduate student University of California graduate student

profileprofile My involvementMy involvement

Rapid Environmental Change (REC)

Pollution Habitat fragmentation (e.g. urban development,

deforestation) Invasive species Over harvesting

Rapid Environmental ChangeClimate Change: Species distribution and extinctions:

-Poleward range shifts of species are occurring and range restricted species show sever range contractions (Parmesan 2006).-15-37% of species committed to extinction by 2050 with current climate scenarios (Thomas et al. 2004).

Ocean acidification

REC in California Decrease in snow pack

More winter rainfall/less snowfall—earlier seasonal peak in runoff, increased fall/winter flooding, decreased summer water supply

(IPCC 2007 WG2T-ARchap15)

Source: NASA Terra Satellite 2004

Implications: Exacerbate water allocationissues

Water Wars: Sacramento-San Joaquin DeltaFarmers, endangered species, urban water supply.

Vulnerable populations: Disproportionate effect on low income and communities of color

REC in California

How do We Respond? Interdisciplinary Approach:

Resource Management Natural and Physical Science Social Scientist

Economic Political Science Sociology Anthropology

Communicating Our Science

To the public To the stakeholders To decision makers

Public Universities: Teaching, Research, Public Service

“Teaching, research, and public service are goals that date back to UC's origins as a land grant institution in the 1860s. Today, through its public service programs and industry partnerships, UC disseminates research results and translates scientific discoveries into practical knowledge and technological innovations that benefit California and the nation.” -University of California Mission

California Mission of Public Universities

The California Master Plan for Higher Education: Adopted by the state in 1960, helps integrate the missions of these colleges and universities in meeting the educational needs of Californians.

10 UC campuses, 23 CSU campuses 108 campuses community college system independent institutions throughout the state

“Science is a social field of forces, struggles, and relationships that is defined at every moment by the relations of power among the protagonists. Scientific choices are guided by taken-for-granted assumptions, interactive with practices, as to what constitutes real and important problems, valid methods, and authentic knowledge…The strategies used by science are at once social and intellectual for example strategies that are founded on implicit agreement with the established scientific order are thereby in affinity with the positions of power within the field itself.”

-Bourdieu 1991

UC Graduate and Professional Degree Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, Fall 200-2008

Source: UCOP Corporate Student System University of California Accountability Report 2009

UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology 2009

•Kevin Rice Lab in collaboration with the John Muir Institute for the Environment (Environmental Leaders Program): Broader Impact Seminar

•My Research Interests: Human Ecology

Indigenous land management and conservation, land rights, human manipulation of ecological process

•NSF-REACH IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship)