EARTH University Collaborative Research Project, Costa Rica

 The CFAES has an active collaborative research project with EARTH University in Costa Rica. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the project focuses on the conservation and management of natural resources and alternative energy sources in the tropics. On the OSU side, there are five active projects:

• Jay Martin, “Bio-Digesters as an Alternative Fuel Source for Home Cooking’’
• William Mitsch, “Management of Wetlands in the Tropics”
• Roger Williams/Michael Ellis, “IPM Applications to Plantation Crops in the Tropics”
• Rattan Lal, “The Potential for Carbon Sequestration in Costa Rica”
• David Hansen, “Environmental Education and Rural Livelihoods in Costa Rica”
• Kandra Madweeney, “Rural Livelihoods and the Plantation Economy”

These projects all involve extensive interaction with counterparts at EARTH University. Several of them involve students from EARTH University in field work. In addition to the principal investigators, other OSU personnel involved in the research include

      ·        Juan Jimenez, Post-doc conducting field work on carbon sequestration

·        Amanda Nahlik, a graduate student conducting field work on wetlands

·        David Lansing, A graduate student conducting field work on rural livelihoods

·        Stephanie Lansing

·        Melanie Miller

·        Matt Mariola

·        Blanet Barnal

·        Caron Gala

Early in 2005 OSU received a visit by Ivannia Sanchez and Dudley Lopez of EARTH university. They were hosted by Fred Bok, OSU Food Industries Center, who discussed the building of a food center at EARTH University and introduced them to food industries in Ohio.  During Fall 2005 Raul Botero spent two months on the OSU campus on sabbatical from EARTH University. While on the OSU campus he interacted with OSU faculty, staff and students who were involved in the program. Mr.Edgar Alvarado will undertake a 3 month sabbatical during summer 2007 with Prof.Roger Williams, OARDC, Wooster.

 Carlos Hernandez, coordinator of the Project at the Earth University, also visited the OSU campus to discuss project activities. He visited with OSU principal investigators to Columbus and Wooster. Durign Fall 2006, Dr.Jose Zaglul, President of Earth University visited OSU campus. OSU also invited two representatives of Central State University, Subramania Sritharan, Director of its International Center for Water Management, and Clark Fuller, Development Officer, to visit EARTH University to discuss how Central state personnel might become involved in the project. Subsequent to this Costa Rica travel, both visited the OSU campus to further discuss how to promote student and possible faculty involvement in the project.

Brian Smith, Central State University student undertook two internships at  Earth University with wetland researchers.