HR: 0800h
AN: ED31B-0742 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering and Development in Africa
AU: * Barron, E J
EM: barron@ems.psu.edu
AF: Penn State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences 116 Deike Building, University Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Adewumi, M
EM: M2A@psu.edu
AF: Penn State University, Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering and Development in Africa 221 Walker Building, University Park, PA 16802 United States
AB: Penn State University, with a significant number of African University partners (University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, University of Cape Town, University of Witwatersrand, and Agustino Neto University) as well as HBCUs (Howard University and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development - a consortium of four HBCUs in Mississippi), has established the Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering and Development in Africa (AESEDA). AESEDA is designed to enable the integration of science, engineering, and social sciences in order to develop human resources, promote economic vitality and enable environmental stewardship in Africa. The Alliance has a coherent and significant multidisciplinary focus, namely African georesources. Education is a central focus, with research collaboration as one element of the vehicle for education. AESEDA is focused on building an environment of intellectual discourse and pooled intellectual capital and developing innovative and enabling educational programs and enhancing existing ones. AESEDA also has unique capabilities to create role models for under-represented groups to significantly enable the utilization of human potential. The efforts of the Alliance center around specific activities in support of its objectives: (1) Focused research collaboration among partner institutions, (2) Development of an international community of scholars, and (3) Joint development of courses and programs and instructional innovation. Penn State has a unique ability to contribute to the success of this program. The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences contains strong programs in the areas of focus. More than 25 faculty in the College have active research and educational efforts in Africa. Hence, the Alliance has natural and vigorous support within the College. The College is also providing strong institutional support for AESEDA, by establishing a Director and support staff and creating permanent funds for a unique set of new faculty hires. The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences also includes a highly regarded institute focused on e-education, distance delivery of curricular materials, and innovative educational solutions. Through two major symposia and a series of international meetings, AESEDA has established strong partnerships with universities in Africa and American HBCUs. All of these elements, combined with a focus on compelling issues, are indicative of the potential of AESEDA.
DE: 9305 Africa
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting