From the Director’s Desk: Welcome to the Fall Semester, Friends of Interdisciplinary Studies at UCF! We have been busy in the IDS office creating space for our new full time faculty and helping students enroll in the right classes. If you are a current student and have not met with an advisor lately – please do make sure to check in with us to ensure you are on the right track. Our professional advisors can help you to navigate the new audit system, degree requirements, and any future planning you are engaged in. If you read the news lately – or have liked us on Facebook, you may have noticed that IDS graduates are doing some amazing things. One of our Environmental Studies students, Steven Carrion, won the Udall Scholarship (a first for UCF!) and is doing amazing work (p. 4). Another IDS grad, Kim Reynolds, is playing for the Orlando Pride http://today.ucf.edu/73274- 2/. And two former IDS students competed in the Olympics in Rio. And those are just some of the success stories. We encourage everyone to get involved – with research and with your communities. Interdisciplinary Studies is a place where creative ideas and future plans can become reality; please let us know how we can help you with your projects and career plans. The last months have been filled with troubling news and many violent events both close at home and across the nation and world. While many in Orlando were able to participate in expressing unity and a collective will for respect and support of each other, we continue to face many difficult issues, from environmental challenges and struggles with sustainability to very real threats to individual and collective lives because of systemic racism, lack of resources, or different opportunities for many groups right here and across the globe. As we all know, many of the problems we face are complex and require creative and critical approaches. Interdisciplinary Studies can help us prepare and respond to these many challenges. I hope you will find useful the many opportunities to learn and to get involved: From taking classes such as IDS 3333 (World Comparative Studies) to attending events such as the film screening and discussion of Memories of a Penitent Heart (see p. 5 ) on Sept. 23; from planning how to integrate your diverse studies into a career or graduate school trajectory (in Cornerstone and Capstone classes) to engaging in environmental studies research while using GIS technology (as all our Environmental Studies students do). The Office of Interdisciplinary Studies aims to be a hub for students and teachers who want to use creative approaches to solving problems and to their education. We are very happy that you are part of, or that you continue to support, this project. This newsletter contains inspiring stories, upcoming events, dates to remember, and lots more. Please let us know how you are doing and how we can help. I hope to see you soon. Sincerely, Dr. Claudia Schippert Early Fall 2016 WHAT’S INSIDE Page 1: From the Director Page 2: New IDS faculty Page 3: Undergraduate Research! Research On Display Page 4: In the Spotlight: Steven Carrion, Student Researcher Page 5: Got Creativity? Michael Peterson, IDS ‘16 IDS Alumni Corner with graduation numbers Office of Pre-Health and Pre-Law Advising mock interviews and other resources Page 6: Interdisciplinary: Art and Social Justice Film Screening & Discussion: Memories of a Penitent Heart Page 7: 2016 Calendar IDS Contact information IDS Facebook information IDS Student Association Information (ISSA)
Transcript
From the Director’s Desk:
Welcome to the Fall Semester, Friends of Interdisciplinary Studies at UCF!
We have been busy in the IDS office creating space for our new full time faculty and helping students enroll in the right classes. If you are a current student and have not met with an advisor lately – please do make sure to check in with us to ensure you are on the right track. Our professional advisors can help you to navigate the new audit system, degree requirements, and any future planning you are engaged in.
If you read the news lately – or have liked us on Facebook, you may have noticed that IDS graduates are doing some amazing things. One of our Environmental Studies students, Steven Carrion, won the Udall Scholarship (a first for UCF!) and is doing amazing work (p. 4). Another IDS grad, Kim Reynolds, is playing for the Orlando Pride http://today.ucf.edu/73274-
2/. And two former IDS students competed in the Olympics in Rio. And those are just some of the success stories.
We encourage everyone to get involved – with research and with your communities. Interdisciplinary Studies is a place where creative ideas and future plans can become reality; please let us know how we can help you with your projects and career plans.
The last months have been filled with troubling news and many violent events both close at home and across the nation and world. While many in Orlando were able to participate in expressing unity and a collective will for respect and support of each other, we continue to face many difficult issues, from environmental challenges and struggles with sustainability to very real threats to individual and collective lives because of systemic racism, lack of resources, or different opportunities for many groups right here and across the globe. As we all know, many of the problems we face are complex and require creative and critical approaches. Interdisciplinary Studies can help us prepare and respond to these many challenges.
I hope you will find useful the many opportunities to learn and to get involved: From taking classes such as IDS 3333 (World Comparative Studies) to attending events such as the film screening and discussion of Memories of a Penitent Heart (see p. 5 ) on Sept. 23; from planning how to integrate your diverse studies into a career or graduate school trajectory (in Cornerstone and Capstone classes) to engaging in environmental studies research while using GIS technology (as all our Environmental Studies students do). The Office of Interdisciplinary Studies aims to be a hub for students and teachers who want to use creative approaches to solving problems and to their education. We are very happy that you are part of, or that you continue to support, this project.
This newsletter contains inspiring stories, upcoming events, dates to remember, and lots more. Please let us know how you are doing and how we can help. I hope to see you soon.
The Office of Interdisciplinary Studies and the College of Undergraduate Studies welcomes our new full time
faculty members, Dr. Sharon Woodill and Dr. Richard Plate. We know that a class with either of these faculty
members will be one that inspires and motivates our interdisciplinary students in ways that will contribute to new
perspectives and opportunities.
Dr. Woodill is an interdisciplinary scholar with an eclectic academic background.
She earned a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Philosophy
and Religious Studies from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
She holds a Master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies, and earned a
Bachelor’s degree (with honors) in Music (jazz piano). Dr. Woodill’s research
interests include religion, gender and sexuality, science and religion, feminist
theory, atheism and secularism, and interdisciplinary methodologies. This
semester she will be teaching IDS 3333, World Comparative Studies, in addition
to IDS Cornerstone and Capstone courses.
Dr. Sharon Woodill
Dr. Richard Plate
Dr. Richard Plate is joining IDS as a visiting lecturer in Environmental
Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies. A Central Florida native, Dr. Plate
earned his PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida
and holds degrees in English and Chemical Engineering from Clemson
University. He has taught courses in environmental science, environmental
ethics and politics, marine resource management, and writing. Dr. Plate’s
research interests focus on how people learn and make decisions about
complex social-ecological system. He has authored numerous articles on
the human dimensions of natural resource management and co-authored a
textbook on sustainability. He’ll be teaching Foundations in
Environmental Studies in addition to IDS Cornerstone courses at UCF this
semester.
Ever wondered about how to find the best vegan restaurant in Miami? The best place for
an alien abduction? Want to help the Florida Scrub Jay? Take a look at how GIS helps!
The Office of Interdisciplinary Studies is proud of the innovative solutions students develop in their final
projects in courses such as GIS 4301. Stop by the IDS Office in Classroom Building 1, 3rd floor - or take a look
when you go to class in CB1-219, to see the newly installed display cases outside our front office and
classroom. You will find useful information and can also see a rotating exhibit of student projects showcasing
how we can use GIS to find the best vegan restaurant in Miami, or the best place to be for alien abductions–
and there are also some other, pretty serious, problems being tackled in these final projects! So just for the fun
of it, stop by and check it out! And maybe it’s even your poster that is displayed!
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES AND RESEARCH
Undergraduate Research! Why should I participate in it? Participating in undergraduate research expands your academic experience at the University of Central Florida.
The benefits of becoming an undergraduate researcher include: working closely with a faculty mentor,
enhancing your understanding and knowledge of your academic field, clarifying your academic, career, and
personal interests, and gaining academic credentials that help expand your resume and that include presenting at
the UCF Showcase or other conferences, publishing, and working with a research team. In addition you’ll be
learning skills in communication (written and oral), critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and time
management, and exploring research techniques while you’re earning academic credit, scholarships, stipends,
and/or awards for having conducted research! It’s a great opportunity in every way!
Great! How can I do it?
There are many undergraduate research opportunities
available. For example, if you have taken the IDS GIS
courses (Geographic Information Systems) you might
be interested in UCF’s Community GIS and Citizen
Science Research Experience for Undergraduates,
funded by the National Science Foundation Award
(#1560015). The UCF GIS Cluster Initiative hosts 8
outstanding undergraduate students from across the
country each summer. This summer’s program was in
Belize and Orlando, Florida. The emphasis of this
program is on community-based research that prepares
students for future academic and non-academic careers
in GIS, geospatial technologies, geography, geo-
sciences, sociology, education, community develop-
ment, public health, and land use planning. For info
about undergraduate research opportunities visit the
UCF Undergraduate Research Database at
https://www.our.ucf.edu/research-positions
Research Opportunities: The UCF Research and
Mentoring Program (RAMP) in partnership with the
UCF Arboretum will provide a paid ecological research
opportunity in Fall 2016. The RAMP program prepares
students to succeed in their progression from
undergraduate studies to graduate school with faculty-
guided research projects and faculty mentoring. In
addition, students participate in a variety of workshops
designed to increase their awareness and knowledge of
the graduate application process. Dr. Patrick Bohlen,
Director of Landscape & Natural Resources and the
Arboretum and Professor of Biology will serve as the
student’s academic mentor, and Arboretum staff will
help supervise and coordinate student research
activities. More info is at www.ramp.ucf.edu.
Application: Interested and qualified students should
Steven Carrion is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar in the Interdisciplinary Studies
program at the University of Central Florida, majoring in Environmental Studies.
We caught up with him while he was participating in UCF’s StarTalk Russian
program this summer. The following is our digital conversation with him.
How did you get interested in learning Russian and what will you do with
the Russian that you’ve learned?
I became interested in the Startalk Russian program because I really enjoy learning
languages as doing so opens doors to new cultures, which I love! In my future
career I hope to travel a lot. Having some knowledge of another language may help
out, who knows!
Your specific interest is in aquaculture and shoreline stabilization work…can you share a bit about that? Actually sustainable development in coastal communities, which include large portions of the human population, has become
my primary focus now. I hope to become a fully-fledged marine scientist, professor, and consultant to NGOs, non-profits, and
local governments. I want to lead multi-lateral initiatives to create science-informed community-based marine conservation and
management plans that involve local communities, policymakers, and professionals in varying disciplines. The end goal being to
find equitable and socio-economically feasible solutions to marine issues that will allow people’s livelihoods to thrive while
maintaining the biological integrity of marine ecosystems.
What was the spark that motivated your interest in this, and how does Interdisciplinary Studies expand your opportunities in
this field?
Through a research experience as a National Science Foundation REU intern, studying the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico, I noticed rural peoples' high dependence on offshore oil drilling for their livelihoods and realized how solutions
to protect marine resources, while being socio-economically responsible, would require pragmatic and interdisciplinary
approaches. And as an undergraduate researcher with the cross-Mediterranean Med-Jellyrisk program I participated in
stakeholder meetings and strengthened my understanding that collaborative and multi-lateral discussions were powerful tools in
achieving impactful and lasting solutions. Coastal communities, especially socio-economically disadvantaged ones, face
disproportionate effects of sea-level rise and other climate change impacts. Many of these communities face poverty-traps that
serve as obstacles to developing sustainable practices, and they are often not included in decision-making, resulting in poor
conservation or development initiatives. So through the knowledge I gained from my marine research, political advocacy, and
course work in environmental politics, environmental sociology, and political geography I pretty much realized that efforts to
protect our natural ecosystems are feckless when social needs are not considered.
Can you share a little about the most rewarding aspect of this work, so far? I would say making amazing, long-lasting connections and friendships with other devoted people wanting to make this world a
better place. I think that has given me hope for the future. That along with traveling, whether it be outside the country or within
it, to do research or to present it, and feeling like you are part of something bigger. It is extremely exciting!
The Med-JellyRisk work you did with a research group based in Italy sounds fascinating.
Yes, I worked with the Med-Jellyrisk program in Italy, a cross-Mediterranean project examining socioeconomic and trophic
impacts of jellyfish blooms to create informed coastal management decisions. I was attracted by this research group because at
the time there had been a debate about whether jellyfish populations were increasing because of human factors that could lead to
"gelatinization" of the seas. This program was interdisciplinary, it focused on
learning more about the biology and ecology of jellyfish blooms, along with
the socioeconomic impact. One of the projects I participated in was
determining what hydroids were fouling aquaculture pens, and if the medusa
they produced could hurt or kill fish. During my time there I also participated
in two scientific conferences in Malta bringing together governmental and
community stakeholders to address the human-jellyfish issues. I saw people
from health agencies there who gave out jellyfish sting treatment guides, and I
also saw governmental officials there, some notably from tourism authorities
which were concerned about how the research was going to impact tourism.
The dialogue opened my eyes to how complex, but necessary, such
interdisciplinary discussions are to finding common solutions!
Meet Michael Peterson, Interdisciplinary Studies Degree, Class of 2015
Commerce (Marketing) and Communications with a minor in Digital Media
Being an IDS major and now a recent graduate has been quite an experience. I was a re-admit
student when I decided to declare IDS as my major. Little did I know that choosing this major
would be the best decision I would make at UCF. Being an Interdisciplinary Studies major
allowed for a flexibility that no other major allowed. I was able to pick the classes that
correlated with what I wanted in a career. I didn’t have to take classes that I had no interest in,
nor did I have to take classes that were irrelevant to my professional goals, unlike other majors.
I had the freedom to choose what I wanted to take amongst my two areas of concentration. The
IDS advising staff was knowledgeable, helpful, and passionate to see me succeed academically
and professionally. I had never before had advisors or faculty who were that dedicated to see
me learn and grow.
Being an Interdisciplinary Studies major has made me a better potential employee for companies. I’m not a one-
dimensional graduate who specialized in a single field, but a graduate with 2 areas of specialty with a minor. Believe it or
not, modern companies want someone who is skilled at more than one thing. They want to hire someone who can
successfully handle separate areas of a single job, and they’re looking for interdisciplinary employees. In the short time
since I graduated, I’ve used what I’ve learned as an IDS major to lift my passion for podcasting to new heights. My podcast
has taken off and is more than just a hobby now. I encourage every student at UCF to look at the Interdisciplinary Studies
major. College isn’t cheap, so don’t waste your money on classes that you don’t need, nor have an interest in. Spend that
money specializing in two areas of study and a minor. For employers, it’s all about getting the most skilled employee who
can handle multiple tasks effectively. I’m not only a happy UCF alumni, but I display my IDS degree with pride.
This is the sixth in a series of short articles featuring Interdisciplinary Studies students and graduates and the way they have
created their own path within the program. The three degree tracks and wide variety of course selections allow students to
pursue multiple interests.
/
The Office of Interdisciplinary Studies proudly graduated over 160 students at
the August 2016 Commencement Ceremonies. These students pursue diverse
paths after graduation that include graduate and professional school, full-time
employment, and entrepreneurial ventures. There are as many different stories
from our Interdisciplinary Studies graduates to share as there are different
combinations of programs offered---the number is almost infinite. We are
proud of each of our Interdisciplinary Studies graduates and are delighted to
share their diverse stories and career paths. Wherever they go and whatever
they do, they contribute to their field with a new interdisciplinary perspective.
We share their stories here and at our website at is.ucf.edu. Share your story
with us by e-mail us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
Michael Peterson, ‘15
IDS
Med School or Law School in your future? Did you know that the Office of Pre-Health and Pre-
Law Advising (OPHPLA) partners with 12 advisors, faculty, and administrators from 9 different
units to conduct mock interviews for Medical, Dental, and Law school programs? Between August
2015 and April 2016, OPHPLA conducted 1-hour long, individualized, and personalized mock inter-
views for 161 UCF Pre-Health students in 17 different majors, including 5 IDS majors, 3 of which
were applying to Dental School. If you are an IDS student headed to one of the professional prog-
rams supported by OPHPLA, you’ll want to take advantage of the opportunities and resources
available. For more information, visit https://www.phpladvising.ucf.edu/index.php To schedule a
mock interview, call the OPHPLA office at 407-823-3033.
