On Friday, April 10, the Earth Institute will host its annual Student Research Showcase. This event highlights current undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students who are conducting research on environmental issues and sustainable development. This year’s projects cover topics in climate change, earth science, health, and community and international development.
The 2020 participants have a wide range of research interests, including glacial erosion, carbon sequestration, and environmental economics. They represent a variety of programs offered at Columbia University including the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, the MS in Sustainability Management Program, and the PhD in Sustainable Development, among others.
This year’s research projects also vary greatly in geographic scope. Some focus on issues being faced right here in New York and the surrounding areas. Students have investigated, for example, the carbon storage of Piermont Marsh and the monitoring of water quality in the Long Island Sound. However, many of the researchers have broadened their scope to include other parts of the world, including the Bahamas, the Peruvian Andes, Guyana, parts of the Middle East and Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, among others. Still others tackled issues less location-dependent, such as the environmental implications of synthetic microfibers and how to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals.
The majority of the projects presented at the showcase are conducted by students who have received some form of support, guidance, or funding through an Earth Institute-affiliated education or student program. These programs include travel grants, internships, and research assistantships from the Institute.
The showcase will kick off with a short video featuring interviews with a selection of students discussing their research, followed by a live Q&A session with the students.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn about the vast array of groundbreaking work being done by students at the Earth Institute. Join us on April 10 from 2:00-4:00 pm online for this virtual research showcase! RSVP here.
To learn more about the Research Showcase and the Earth Institute, visit the showcase website.
Sydney Proffitt is an intern for the Office of Academic and Research Programs at the Earth Institute, Columbia University. She is an undergraduate student at Columbia and will graduate in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sustainable Development.
