Ever wonder what it would be like to study the environment in the middle of Jamaica Bay’s waters? How about doing research in a facility that used to be a military base? Well that just may soon become a reality for Brooklyn College and other CUNY students. Since winning an $8-million grant, awarded by the state of New York, the college is currently involved with the development of the Science and Resilience Institution.
Professor Brett Branco outlined some of the plans that have been drawn up for the program. “Part of the grant was to fund the construction of a 68-foot vessel, which is going to serve somewhat of a floating classroom,” Branco said. “In a couple of years we’ll be able to bring classes of Brooklyn College students out onto Jamaica Bay and out onto the New York harbor and learn about aquatic resources, oceanography and marine science.
Professor Branco insists that students should look forward to the institution. He believes the program will have much to offer future participants. Professor Branco also feels the program will benefit more than just their academia and thinks students should consider the possibilities that can come with the institution. The idea is for them to acquire some real-world applications they can learn and later apply in their field of profession.
“So how this benefits Brooklyn College students is first of all it can really plug them into, not just to research, but also actual initiatives to try to help make the resources and communities around Jamaica Bay better,” Branco Said. “It also can provide them with direct connection to these agencies, which might be their future employers.”
While the center will be available to Brooklyn College and other CUNY students, the center will be a consortium of other universities and Institutions that were involved in getting the grant. These institutions also include Columbia, SUNY Stony Brook, Rutgers, Cornell, The Wildlife Conservation Society, Stevens Institute of Technology, and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the New York Sea Grant.
“The City University of New York was the lead institution in getting the science and resilience institute,” Professor Branco said. However, Brooklyn College will serve as the center of activity. Some thanks is attributed to the support of the administration, in particular the provost and the president of Brooklyn College, for getting behind the effort. Professor Branco also credits Dr. John Marro as being the primary driver for bringing the Institution to Brooklyn College.
“Dr. Marra put together a proposal to basically enhance the resource and the facilities at Brooklyn College to support the efforts of the science and resilience institute but also to, really to enhance the opportunities of our students and our faculty.”
During the process of drafting a proposal for the grant, Dr. John Marra was instrumental in putting together a plan that gave the College the upper hand.
“What we’re designing right now is a field course for environmental science students at Brooklyn College,” Dr. Marra said. But we’d also invite other CUNY campuses to participate if they want.”
Dr. Marra is hoping to bring students and faculty together to help not only give students’ hands-on experience but also contribute to the science community. The field course in itself will have two purposes. One is to train students to conduct field research and studies. The other purpose is to allow the faculty to conduct their own research while working in tangent with the students who will also benefit from aiding staff members. These particular faculty-led researchers will serve a greater significance than just to educate students and participants of the study.
“They’re going to publish them and that’s where it’ll get disseminated to the broader scientific community.” Dr. Marra said.
Part of the fund will be used to construct a new facility in Floyd Bennet Field. Once a military airbase, Floyd Bennet Field is now part of the institute. It will not be limited to students who study Earth and Environmental sciences, but to those of all majors. Anyone from CUNY or the other eight institutes mentioned will have access to the center. The Institute is expected to open its doors in 2020.
