1. Jesús Lee-Borges
  2. Professor
  3. Applying the Knowledge (Citizen Science): An Undergraduate Mentored Research Approach
  4. University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla
  1. Nancy Cardona-Cordero
  2. http://linkedin.com/in/nrcardona
  3. Assistant Professor
  4. Applying the Knowledge (Citizen Science): An Undergraduate Mentored Research Approach
  5. University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla
  1. Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  2. http://linkedin.com/in/veronica-mr
  3. Student mentor
  4. Applying the Knowledge (Citizen Science): An Undergraduate Mentored Research Approach
  5. University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla
  1. Victoria Pellot
  2. Student Mentor
  3. Applying the Knowledge (Citizen Science): An Undergraduate Mentored Research Approach
  4. University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla
  1. Rafael Rios-McConnell
  2. External Evaluator
  3. Applying the Knowledge (Citizen Science): An Undergraduate Mentored Research Approach
  4. University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla
  1. Deytzalie Rodriguez
  2. Student Mentor
  3. Applying the Knowledge (Citizen Science): An Undergraduate Mentored Research Approach
  4. University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla
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  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 9, 2022 | 05:29 p.m.

    Thank you for taking time for visiting the University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla; Citizen Science as a Teaching/Learning Tool video.  Our project, sponsored by the Department of Education, Title III Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP), is focused on creating undergraduate research projects centered on Citizen Science.  Our objective is to teach students on how to use the skills they learn in the classroom to solve real world problems. Although we are only in year one of three, we intend to gauge the impact that this project has on its participants, not only measuring the retention and graduation rates, but also participant satisfaction (through questionnaires), participation in National and International Congresses and Symposiums, and ultimately, by admission into graduate programs in STEM fields. 

    Our team would love to hear any comment and/or question you may have about our project.

     

     
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    Isaris Quinones Perez
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 10:19 a.m.

    This is awesome!!!  I am interested to hear about how this can impact what goes in in the classes, in addition to the undergraduate research projects.  Could a course assignment be tied into some aspect of the research?  

  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 12:24 p.m.

    Hello Ann, thanks for your question.  Although our project has a much broader scope, I’m sure it can be broken down into some smaller components and those components used as class assignments. As an example, I teach the Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology course, and I can visualize incorporating an assignment tied to community engagement as part of the course.  Maybe something like: “discussing the ethical conduct of biomedical research, especially when research is focused on ethnically or culturally distinct populations”. This way questions as diversity, inclusion and equity can be integrated and discussed within the conceptual framework of biomedical research.  Hope this answers your question, and thanks again for commenting on our video.

     
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    Sarah Haavind
  • Icon for: Kwame Owusu-Daaku

    Kwame Owusu-Daaku

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 12:45 a.m.

    Great project! Do you have any plans to continue to engage with this particular community over a period of time or do you plan to move on to a different community with a different group of students?

  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 10, 2022 | 11:54 a.m.

    Thank you. We will continue to engage this community with different students creating a group of holistic students with scientific skills and social responsibilities. At the same time the participants of the community receive training in scientific methodology, but above all concerning public health and environmental sciences, fostering the creation of citizen scientists.

     
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    Kwame Owusu-Daaku
  • Icon for: Scott Horrell

    Scott Horrell

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 11:03 a.m.

    Excellent project! It seems like an experience like this would have a profound impact on students' self-efficacy.

     
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    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Rafael Rios-McConnell

    Rafael Rios-McConnell

    Co-Presenter
    External Evaluator
    May 10, 2022 | 03:49 p.m.

    Thanks! It is our aim to show students the importance of empowering communities by showing them not only how to generate and contribute to the pool of knowledge, but also what to do with that newfound knowledge.

     
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    Scott Horrell
    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Jeff Milbourne

    Jeff Milbourne

    Facilitator
    STEM Coordinator-Writing and Learning Center
    May 10, 2022 | 02:57 p.m.

    Thanks to you all for a great video and a great project. I really appreciate the intersections at play in this project: community engagement, scientific research, scientific communication, and environmental science/impact. I'm also a huge fan of authentic research experiences for students, and I appreciate the way this program leverages those experiences for both student learning and community impact. 

    Using the term 'citizen science' in the project description made me wonder more about the interactions between the project team members and the community members. Can you talk a little more about how those two groups interact, and how each brings their respective expertise to bear on the project?  Are you doing any surveying/analysis of the community members as part of your data collection? 

     
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    Isaris Quinones Perez
  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 11, 2022 | 05:06 p.m.

    Thank you, Jeff! We really appreciate your comments about our project! As to your questions, students meet with community members at the beginning of the semester. In this introductory meeting, community members present themselves and express their concerns and priorities for the project, students also introduce themselves (including academic background) and then we pinpoint the ways in which we can collaborate, understanding what each group brings, and how the community and the students can complement each other in the search for potential solutions. As an example, the community can identify times, days, possible sources of exposure, and students can identify potential biological and chemical pathways of exposure and explain potential health effects. Our goal is that students and the community can interact as much as possible, having the students serve as mentors by offering workshops, scientific talks, and question and answer sessions to the community so they can have all the necessary tools to become efficient citizen scientists.


    On your second question, we have not implemented a survey with the community, but have started conversations with the community to determine the best way to collect health and perspective data and have identified new health related priorities (mercury exposure) for the next semester. We are working to obtain IRB approval for the next group of students to make this possible.  Hope this answers your questions, feel free to let us know if you have any other questions about our project.

     
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    Isaris Quinones Perez
  • Iris loyda

    Parent
    May 10, 2022 | 03:36 p.m.

    Excelente trabajo.

    Éxito a todos

     
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    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 08:17 p.m.

    Muchas gracias!!!

  • Icon for: Ana C. Santiago

    Ana C. Santiago

    K-12 Teacher
    May 10, 2022 | 05:38 p.m.

    I am very proud of your work and your contributions to our society!  Keep on working!

     
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    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 08:21 p.m.

    Our students are excellent ambassadors for this project, and we are also very proud of the them and the work they have done.  This video is testimony of their commitment to help their communities.

     
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    Sarah Haavind
  • Icon for: Paul Adams

    Paul Adams

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 10, 2022 | 06:32 p.m.

     Thanks for sharing the work you are doing.  Engaging student with these real world projects is a great motivator.  I look forward to seeing future videos as you are able to collect the data to measure the enduring impact on your students.  It was mentioned that the students were involved in a research course.  Was this open to the whole student body, or to those in STEM majors?  What were the initial skills assumed as the students engaged in the project?

  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 06:40 a.m.

    Hello Paul, thanks for your comments and words of encouragement, they are deeply appreciated.  We are also very excited to share the results of the impact of this research on its particiants in the coming years.  As to your questions, the UPR-Aguadilla offers an undergraduate research course (BIOL 3108), its a capstone course, so students that take it have basically completed most of the required courses of their curriculum, but any student can take the course, its not limited to STEM majors.  The students that participated in this project where Biology and/or Environmental Technology Majors who for the most part had completed courses in statistics, air quality, and molecular biology. But during the project, statistical skills, specially working with the statistical software R was emphasized. An added component of the project, is that participants also served as mentors to incoming freshman student and informally introduced them to undergraduate research. Our goal is to create a pipeline, where this year’s mentees are next years’ mentors.  Hope this answers your questions, don't hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions about our project.

     

    Thanks!

     
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    Sarah Haavind
    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 10:24 a.m.

    Some of this answers a question I posed above about how this ties into classes.  I teach statistics and R programming and would love a way to incorporate small pieces of this type of real world research into some of the classes students take before getting to a capstone class.  

  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 01:09 p.m.

    Hello Ann, didn't see this question until after I had already answered the one before.  But knowing now that you teach statistics with R, I can give you a better example.  In our project we use data obtained from PurpleAir Air Quality Sensors to analyze air quality of the different comunities.  This is real time data that can be obtained open source for parameters such as: US EPA Particulate matter 2.5, Temperature, Humidity, etc.  I’m sure that there should real time data for your city/state. I’m including the link to the PurpleAir website where you can download data in Excel or any other data base foormat, which you can later use for statistical analysis with R.  If you are interested in using the PurPleAir data and need help downloading the data sets, feel free to contact me and ill try to help you as much as I can.

    Thanks for your comments!!

     

     

     
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    Sarah Haavind
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 01:21 p.m.

    Thanks for this specific suggestion.  I have looked at the website and there is data in our area.  We had previously used something similar with climate data for a research project as a part of our MSEIP grant, but I don't think that site still exists.  And I hadn't tried to incorporate aspects of the research project into the class yet.  I think if there is research going on at the university and we can incorporate a small example of that in a class, that might encourage additional level of buy-in from students in the class.  This looks promising and thanks for your offer to help with downloading if needed!!

  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 12, 2022 | 09:31 a.m.

    You are welcome Ann! Please feel free to reach out at nancy.cardona@upr.edu or contact Dr. Lee.

  • Krystal Albino

    May 11, 2022 | 09:21 a.m.

    Excellent presentation 

     
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    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 01:11 p.m.

    Thanks, for taking the time to see our video and commenting!!

  • Jaira Rodriguez

    May 11, 2022 | 09:23 a.m.

     Great job

     
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    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 11, 2022 | 04:34 p.m.

    Thank you for your comment and for watching our video!

  • Ivonne Feliciano

    Parent
    May 11, 2022 | 01:13 p.m.

    Muchas felicidades y muchas bendiciones. Buen trabajo. 

     
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    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 11, 2022 | 04:34 p.m.

    Gracias por las felicitaciones y por tomar el tiempo de ver nuestro video Ivonne.

  • David Morales

    Parent
    May 11, 2022 | 01:17 p.m.

    Great!  Participation and training of communities it’s the right choice and opportunity to grow peopled around and better spreads knowledges..

     
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    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez
  • Icon for: Veronica Morales-Rodriguez

    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez

    Co-Presenter
    Student mentor
    May 11, 2022 | 04:44 p.m.

    Thank you for taking your time to see our video, for commenting, and for the support! 

  • Icon for: Sarah Haavind

    Sarah Haavind

    Facilitator
    Senior Research Project Manager
    May 11, 2022 | 05:38 p.m.

    Congratulations on this excellent start for local citizen science research projects! You have also identified great metrics for measuring impacts, thank you for sharing those. You mention your next focus will be mercury exposure. Can you tell us more about how topics are identified and selected? Thank you in advance for sharing more about your exciting work.

  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 12, 2022 | 09:29 a.m.

    Thanks for the comments, Sarah! The idea of new research topics comes primarily from the community’s interests. Specifically, the idea of monitoring mercury concentration in biological samples started when the students reported back to the community results of this year’s research projects done in the area. This served as the catalyst to exchange ideas based on the community understanding of the data obtained and ultimately generated new concerns/priorities. The conclusions reached at the end of the semester also serves as a baseline for the development of the next semester course/group of students. 

     
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    Sarah Haavind
  • Icon for: Bhaskar Upadhyay

    Bhaskar Upadhyay

    Facilitator
    Associate Professor
    May 12, 2022 | 11:31 a.m.

    I think connecting STEM to the local issue is key to STEM literate citizens. Also, it is a kind of community-driven STEM in which the community interests are embedded. I wonder if the project would focus more on community-driven aspects - issues, questions, design, and dissemination. I do love the students representing the community members. Do the questions/issues come from students or the PIs or research team decide beforehand?

  • Icon for: Rafael Rios-McConnell

    Rafael Rios-McConnell

    Co-Presenter
    External Evaluator
    May 12, 2022 | 12:46 p.m.

    Hello Bhaskar,

    Thank you for taking the time to watch our video and post. Project aims are develop from question and issues stated by the community. After students gather all inquiries and concerns from the community, they work with the PI to formulate research questions, postulate aims and develop methodologies [that include community members as a key component] to address those inquiries and concerns. You could say that projects are molded based on questions/issues from the community and not decided beforehand by students or PI. Hope this answer your question. Thank you again!

     
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    Sarah Haavind
  • Icon for: Liz Diaz-Vazquez

    Liz Diaz-Vazquez

    Researcher
    May 12, 2022 | 11:33 a.m.

    Congratulations on this great project! Puerto Rico needs projects like this one that trains the next generation of the STEM workforce and use scientific knowledge to solve communities' problems.  

    Muchas felicidades y éxito en esta hermosa encomienda que están realizando! Puerto Rico lo hace mejor!

  • Icon for: Rafael Rios-McConnell

    Rafael Rios-McConnell

    Co-Presenter
    External Evaluator
    May 12, 2022 | 07:01 p.m.

    Thank you! I saw your video, congrats to you to! Great initiative!

  • Icon for: Isaris Quinones Perez

    Isaris Quinones Perez

    Coordinator
    May 13, 2022 | 01:28 a.m.

    Me encantó el video y el trabajo que están realizando. Este enfoque educativo se me parece mucho a la estrategia de aprendizaje en servicio, donde los estudiantes aprenden en la medida que atienden una necesidad de la comunidad. Me fascina ver que proyectos como estos son posibles. 

    Me gustaría saber ¿qué retos administrativos enfrentan para integrar este tipo de proyecto al currículo? ¿Qué dificultades enfrentan los estudiantes para cumplir con las tareas requeridas en el proyecto? y ¿Qué sugerencias pueden darnos de aspectos importantes a considerar para realizar proyectos como este?

    Muchas gracias por tan excelente trabajo y el video quedó espectacular!!!! 

    I loved the video and the work you are doing. This educational approach is very similar to the service learning strategy, where students learn as they address a community need. I am fascinated to see that projects like this are possible.

    I would like to know what administrative challenges you face in integrating this type of project into the curriculum, what difficulties the students face in accomplishing the tasks required in the project?, and what suggestions you can give us of important aspects to consider in carrying out projects like this?

    Thank you so much for such an excellent job and the video was spectacular!!!!

     

  • Icon for: Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Nancy Cardona-Cordero

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor
    May 15, 2022 | 09:44 a.m.

    Thank your viewing our video and for your comments! Este proyecto se comenzó como un curso de investigación subgraduado (BIOL 3108), donde los estudiantes dependiendo, de su intereses particulares, hacen el acercamiento al profesor del curso y son matriculados. Esto nos permite que en el currículo del curso se integren todas las fases para este tipo de proyecto científico basado en la comunidad.  


     


    El reto principal para los estudiantes se centra en la comunicación científica a una audiencia no académica. Un reto adicional, para este proyecto, es la distancia del lugar de estudio con respecto a la Universidad (Aguadilla a Guayama).  


     


    La sugerencia principal para realizar un proyecto como este, es dedicarle tiempo para conocer a las comunidades a nuestro alrededor. Una vez que nos involucremos en las inquietudes de la comunidad como oyentes, podremos ir creando la confianza para conocer sus prioridades y de ahí partir juntos, reconociendo que los expertos del área, siempre es la comunidad.  Nosotros como académicos y los estudiantes, como científicos en formación, podremos aportar y discutir con la Comunidad posibles estrategias viables y sobre todo sostenibles para ellos. 


     


     


    Thank Your Viewing Our Video and for Your Comments! This project began as a undergraduate research course (Biol 3108), where students, depending on their particular interests, approach to the professor and are enrolled. This allows us to integrate all phases of this type of community-based scientific project into the course curriculum. 


     


    The main challenge for students focuses on scientific communication to a non-academic audience. An additional challenge, specifically for this project, is the distance from the community we are helping to the university (Aguadilla to Guayama). 


     


    The main suggestion to carry out a project like this, is to spend time to meet and get to know the communities around us. Once we can get involved in the concerns of the community as listeners, they can create confidence to know their priorities and from there, working together, recognizing that the experts in the area is always the community. As professors and students, as scientists in training, we can contribute and discuss with the community possible viable and sustainable strategies for them. 

     
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    Sarah Haavind
  • Icon for: Molly Phillips

    Molly Phillips

    iDigBio Education, Outreach, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
    May 16, 2022 | 11:03 a.m.

    Excellent project! You probably already know this, but the SACANS conference will be in Puerto Rico this year and would be a great place for your students to present their work! https://www.sacnas.org/conference

  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 16, 2022 | 12:04 p.m.

    Thanks for your comments Molly!  We are planning to present our work at the SACNAS conference!! Hope to see you and your students there!!

  • Kevin Irizarry

    Undergraduate Student
    May 16, 2022 | 12:32 p.m.

    Very good.

  • Icon for: Veronica Morales-Rodriguez

    Veronica Morales-Rodriguez

    Co-Presenter
    Student mentor
    May 16, 2022 | 12:37 p.m.

    Thank you for taking your time to see our video and for the comment!

  • Icon for: Kelly Costner

    Kelly Costner

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 17, 2022 | 04:15 p.m.

    I'm most impressed by the development of advocacy skills as a component of this project. I think it's often assumed that people will become advocates over time based on experience and confidence gained along the way. Better to integrate advocacy skills along the way so we can take advantage of the idealism and passion of those entering the field!

  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Lead Presenter
    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 17, 2022 | 06:43 p.m.

    Thank you Kelly, one of the main goals of this project was to develop advocacy skills in our students.  We were pleasantly surprised on how students were quick to understand how much of an impact they can have on their community.  They really went above and beyond when they met the community and started working with them hand in hand.