ERIC Number: EJ1381606
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2168-8273
EISSN: EISSN-2168-8281
Transdisciplinary Approaches to Graduate Student Training for Food-Energy-Water Challenges
Gittlin, Madisen L.; Clarizio, Tessa; Lamino, Pablo; Michels, Alexandrea; Opejin, Adenike; Barrera, Emiliano López
Natural Sciences Education, v52 n1 e20119 2023
Systems-level approaches are required for addressing the world's major challenges at the food-energy-water nexus. Taking on complex issues, such as rising food insecurity, malnutrition, and food waste, concomitant with unprecedented levels of stress on environmental systems, will necessitate that future scholars and decision makers be prepared through transdisciplinary student training. However, in higher education, students tend to be siloed within their discipline. In this study, we present a case for the development of transdisciplinary graduate student training based on an inter-institutional and fully remote group of graduate students who assembled during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the issue of food waste. We use our wide-ranging disciplinary backgrounds, high-performance transdisciplinary team training, and stakeholder feedback to develop and conduct a weeklong social media campaign to share educational resources for reducing household food waste. This work offers valuable lessons learned through the student's lens to those seeking to create or improve future transdisciplinary training methods for tackling food waste and other global grand challenges. Key insights from this process include the importance of accountability and open communication when conducting collaborative teamwork, the utility of various mobile and online tools for effectively facilitating remote group work, and the vital role of transdisciplinarity in devising creative solutions.
Descriptors: Interdisciplinary Approach, Food, Water, World Problems, Hunger, Nutrition, Energy Conservation, Graduate Students, Computer Mediated Communication, Teamwork, Training, Social Media, Educational Resources
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1639340; 1833225