SUSI Environmental Group Projects

This SUSI program acknowledges that the pressing environmental issues of our time are global challenges that require collective collaboration that transcends borders. This program offers you a tremendous opportunity to engage in international collaboration with your peers from different countries in order to address important global environmental issues.

Given shared interests that emerge during the program, you will divide into groups of Fellows focused on collective goals. Together, you will work collectively to develop an idea for a specific project that you design to address an environmental issue of your choosing. You will develop your project idea with knowledge and inspiration drawn from SUSI program activities, as well as consistent guidance from your Academic Director Dr. Len Broberg and your Graduate Teaching Assistants Ms. Shanti Johnson and Mr. Pat O’Connor.

Because you will collaborate with people from around the world, we do not expect you to implement a single joint project. However, you will collaborate to develop a project idea which can be implemented with modifications specific to your home countries and personal context.

During your program, you will take the following steps towards project development:

June 30: Individual Fellow Presentations and Group Formation

  • While listening to other Fellows’ presentations on environmental issues facing their home countries, we will ask you to write down the three issues that have the greatest connection to your objectives. We will collect your list at the end of the presentation period to get a better sense of the interests you would like to pursue.
  • Your program team will identify the major topics of interest in the group based on feedback from the individual presentations. You will be placed in an initial group with your peers who have expressed similar interests, with the intention of brainstorming and discussing potential project ideas. After spending fifteen minutes in your initial group, you will have an opportunity to rotate among other interest groups. By the end of this brainstorming session, you will decide on the topic/group that you would like to work with on developing a project proposal.

July 3: Initial Group Project Meetings with Dr. Broberg and GTAs

  • On July 3, you will have your initial group meeting under the guidance of Dr. Broberg, Shanti, and Pat. This meeting is intended to determine a clear direction for research and development of a group project proposal over the next few weeks. Please feel free to set up additional meetings with Dr. Broberg and your GTA if you have questions prior to the next formal meeting.

July 17: Group Project Meetings with GTAs

  • This meeting will allow you to discuss your progress on your group project proposal under the advisement of Shanti and Pat.

July 21: Group Project Meetings with Dr. Broberg and GTAs

  • This meeting will allow you to discuss your progress on your group project proposal under the advisement of Dr. Broberg, Shanti, and Pat. This is your final advising meeting prior to the group project presentation.

July 24: Group Project Presentations

  • Each group will be allowed a 15-minute period to present a proposal for their project to the rest of their SUSI cohort. Time will also be allowed for each group to receive feedback and answer questions from their peers and program team, with the intention of giving each group valuable advice for how to move forward with implementing their project.

Please note that while we have identified three specific group meeting times, you will be assigned one Graduate Teaching Assistant to work specifically with your group and support your project work throughout the program. Dr. Broberg will also be available throughout the program for consultation.

We will describe this process in greater detail during your orientation.This summary is designed to give you a better understanding of expectations we have for you during the Institute.