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Full-Text Articles in Education
Sustainability Science Graduate Students As Boundary Spanners, Soencer Meyer, Vanessa Levesque, Karen H. Bieluch, Michelle Johnson, Bridie Mcgreavy, Stacia J. Dreyer, Hollie Smith
Sustainability Science Graduate Students As Boundary Spanners, Soencer Meyer, Vanessa Levesque, Karen H. Bieluch, Michelle Johnson, Bridie Mcgreavy, Stacia J. Dreyer, Hollie Smith
Publications
Graduate training in sustainability science (SS) focuses on interdisciplinary research, stakeholder-researcher partnerships, and creating solutions from knowledge. But becoming a sustainability scientist also requires specialized training that addresses the complex boundaries implicit in sustainability science approaches to solving social-ecological system challenges. Using boundary spanning as a framework, we use a case study of the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at the University of Maine to explicate key elements for graduate education training in SS. We used a mixed-methods approach, including a quantitative survey and autoethnographic reflection, to analyze our experiences as SSI doctoral students. Through this research, we identified four essential …
Socialization To Interdisciplinary: Faculty And Student Perspectives, Susan K. Gardner, Jessica Spelke Jansujwicz, Karen Hutchins, Brittany Cline, Vanessa Levesque
Socialization To Interdisciplinary: Faculty And Student Perspectives, Susan K. Gardner, Jessica Spelke Jansujwicz, Karen Hutchins, Brittany Cline, Vanessa Levesque
Publications
Interdisciplinary research and education are a growing emphasis in United States institutions of higher education but relatively little is known about the doctoral students engaged in these atypical programs. The purpose of this study was to understand the socialization process of 18 students involved in a large-scale, federally funded, interdisciplinary research project focused on sustainability at one university. Using Weidman, Twale, and Stein’s framework of graduate student socialization, themes emerged related to (a) their distinctive characteristics and cultures, (b) the learning process, (c) balance, (d) uncertainty, and (d) support. Recommendations for policy and practice are included.