For one quarter every other year, Hawaii becomes a home and classroom to 20 Stanford undergraduates studying the natural and social dynamics of one of the planet’s most interesting places. The Wrigley Field Program is led by Peter Vitousek, the Clifford G. Morrison Professor in the biology department, who holds a courtesy appointment in Earth System Science. With the help of an all-star cast of Stanford faculty, the program presents intensive, field-based sections on such topics as volcanology, geomorphology, soil science, ecosystem ecology, marine biology, anthropology, and environmental management.
“If we want to teach students the close relationship between humans and their environment, there’s no place like Hawaii,” Vitousek said. This is just one of several experiential learning programs Stanford Earth offers students who are looking for an opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and problem solving. In addition to courses with field trips, Stanford-at-Sea and Sophomore College courses in Southwest Alaska and the Rocky Mountains offer immersion into challenges related to Earth processes and human-environment interactions.
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Researchers imagined, designed, and tested an elegant lens device that can efficiently gather light from all angles and concentrate it at a fixed output position. (Source: Stanford Engineering)
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GIS, or geographic information system, is a modern mapping tool used by many researchers at Stanford Earth to better understand the planet using big data. Stanford’s 17th annual GIS Day offered students and faculty the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the constantly evolving field.
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The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s annual competition recognizes images capturing natural beauty, researchers in action, and important topics in sustainability research.
