Project Index
Click on a project title to link directly to the project description.
Project SU19c: Application of Landscape Visualization in Participatory Natural Resource Management
Project SU19a: Climate Change Adaptation in the Tropics — position filled
Project SU19b: Disaster Discourse — position filled
Project SU19a: Climate Change Adaptation in the Tropics
Researcher: Michelle Ritchie mar550@psu.edu
Position type: Data Analysis & Visualization
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
The researcher will be preparing a publication concisely summarizing the past two semesters of UROC analysis on tropical climate change adaptation. This includes but is not limited to summarizing results; creating figures; running basic statistics; creating citations. The paper will be sent for review at the end of the summer. The researcher and prior UROC students will be co-authors.
Desired qualifications
Successful completion of English 15 (or equivalent) and STAT 200 (or equivalent).
This project will require 45-135 hours of work over the course of the summer, and the successful applicant may earn 1-3 credits for the summer or fall term.
Project SU19b: Disaster Discourse
Researcher: Michelle Ritchie mar550@psu.edu
Position type: Data Collection & Analysis
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
The researcher will gather, sort, and analyze national emergency declarations and associated news for the United States and Iceland. Emergency declarations will be analyzed using R while associated news will be analyzed using LIWC – a linguist analysis software. The researcher will also gather and sort disaster signage. If time permits, the researcher will also begin development of a disaster survey assessment tool based on FEMA frameworks and the disaster discourse results.
Desired qualifications
The applicant should possess strong writing/communication skills and should be proficient in R.
This project will require 45-135 hours of work over the course of the summer, and the successful applicant may earn 1-3 credits for the summer or fall term.
Project SU19c: Application of Landscape Visualization in Participatory Natural Resource Management
Researcher: Elham Nasr Azadani eun32@psu.edu
Position type: Data Collection, Literature Review
Application deadline: open until filled (prior to 6/1/19)
Application URL: https://sites.psu.edu/uroc/undergrads-apply-for-a-project/
Project work duration: June 1-June 30, 2019
Project and position description
The process of engaging communities, stakeholders, and the public in decision making has always been a crucial factor in natural resource management. Recently, most of the environmental activities do not conduct without some sorts of reference to stakeholders involvement. Although this is a positive development, in a myriad of cases, stakeholders’ engagement has been quite nominal, and successful engagement is barely achievable because of various restrictions. So, here an important question comes up. What are the best approaches which increase public participation for mitigating environmental problems and enhancing nature-friendly attitudes and behaviors in society while meeting the aims of participatory methods? Some scholars advocate that visualization can improve understanding of the participants about the issues and potential plans and enhance their ability to communicate their knowledge and ideas. In this project, we will review the application of visualization in participatory management and decision making at different times and parts of the world with various stakeholders and planners. We have explored a considerable part of this area of research. However, applicants can assist us in expanding our research and making it systematic and well organized.
Desired qualifications
Applicants should be interested in nature and society interactions, natural resource management, and involvement in reviewing literature. Applicants should be good writers and have the ability to extract key points of written documents. They are expected to be punctual and capable of working independently.
This project will require 45 hours of work during the month of June, and the successful applicant may earn 1 credit for the summer or fall term.