The School of Engineering and the Center for Civic Leadership are recruiting eight students to form our inaugural group of Gulf Scholars, a new program supported by the National Academies Gulf Research Program (NAS-GRP). This program is designed to inspire and prepare undergraduate students to address challenges of resilience, such as natural hazards and climate stressors facing urban and industrial communities in the region.
GSP@Rice is open to current sophomores and transfer students with sophomore standing across all majors on campus and requires a year-long commitment (Spring through Fall). The program includes field trips, community engagement, formal mentorship opportunities, a funded research experience, and skills development in leadership, innovation, communication, and teamwork.
Mission
To inspire and prepare undergraduate students to address challenges of resilience to natural hazards and climate stressors facing urban and industrial communities in the Gulf Coast region.
Vision
A next generation of diverse coastal resilience change agents armed with the convergent teaming, technical skills, contextual sensitivity, and leadership abilities to address grand challenges of urban resilience and climate adaptation in the Gulf Coast region.
Goals
- Build a diverse Gulf Scholars community and inclusive learning environment at Rice University, particularly targeting underrepresented minority students and women
- Promote contextual understanding of Gulf Coast resilience challenges and cultures
- Develop the technical competencies, ethical framework and interdisciplinary teaming required to effectively and equitably address these resilience challenges
- Foster and communicate outcomes of socially relevant and responsive resilience problem solving
- Cultivate leadership and innovation surrounding future hazard resilience and climate adaptation
Timeline
Spring: Gulf Immersion Course
- Participate fully in the immersion program, including discussions, assignments, reflections, and local community-based learning, service, and/or advocacy focused on Gulf climate hazards.
- Through this civic engagement experience you will become aware of key issues affecting the Gulf Region, appreciate the perspectives of diverse stakeholders, and recognize the range of responses to addressing Gulf challenges. In particular, this course emphasizes community engagement and civic leadership, including intercultural knowledge, social justice, ethical partnership frameworks, and equity issues.
Summer: GSP: Gulf Impact Project
- Participate fully in the Gulf Impact Project, a ten-week, full-time community-based research program, focused on applying interdisciplinary approaches to Gulf climate hazards. Requirements include attendance at all meetings with research team, community partners, and faculty, graduate student, and CCL mentors; completion of individual research contributions according to project schedule; preparation of written reports and final presentation to relevant stakeholders.
- Receive a $6000 stipend; subsidized Rice room and board available based on financial need.
Fall: Gulf Resilience Seminar
Enroll in a one-credit seminar with Rice faculty. This course will serve as a synthesis of your community-engaged learning experience, while offering reflection and future pathway planning opportunities. Along with seminar and discussion sessions, faculty-led Gulf Resilience Field Trips will continue to develop your contextual knowledge and understanding of Gulf resilience challenges, particularly in communities and with organizations of relevance to your Gulf Impact Projects.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of one year in the GSP@Rice program, you will be able to:
- Speak knowledgeably about Gulf Coast resilience challenges
- Employ disciplinary academic and research skills in an interdisciplinary context to address local climate hazard challenges
- Communicate your understanding and research in written and oral formats to a variety of audiences; and
- Apply ethical and equitable frameworks to addressing local climate hazard challenges.
How to Apply
Learn how to apply to GSP@Rice.
Questions? Contact Us
Veronica Reyna
Associate Director
gsp@rice.edu
Learn more about our staff and advisory board.