Student Engaged, Service-Learning, Alive and Well at Oregon State University
Instead of staying home, sleeping-in and preparing for a new term to begin, 22 Oregon State University students decided to head to Puerto Rico for an intensive 8-day program that left them tired, bruised, blistered, sunburned, bug-bitten and exhilarated. Students visited Old San Juan and Castillo San Felipe del Morro, El Yunque National Forest, snorkeled La Parguera Reef, planted 100 endemic forest trees with the non-profit organization Para la Naturaleza, cleared land and planted coffee trees at a local farm, collected garbage in Toro Negro Forest, and Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, delivered agricultural programming to over 80 high school students, dropped in on Campo Caribe hydroponics research production site and created a medicinal garden including gravity-fed irrigation system, fence installation, and created garden beds inspired by waves and Taino sun motifs on the grounds of Universidad Interamericana Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. Dr. Alok Arun shared his plant biotechnology research laboratory, and scheduled a visit to the University’s Interactive Sciences Museum. We fell into our beds each night to the sounds of the coquis. While the accomplishments were great, the connections and collaborations made with the students, faculty and community members were even more impactful. We look forward to welcoming students from Puerto Rico to the OSU Campus this summer for an 8-week USDA NIFA REEU undergraduate research program.
“Sure, I could have stayed home for Spring Break and that would have been a lot easier, but I am so glad I came. This trip really pushed me out of my comfort zone and the connections with the people were invaluable!” - Roberto
OSU Students -
- Jamon Jordan, Marine Resource Management
- Hunter Grove, Environmental Sciences
- Lupe Licona Hernandez, Animal Sciences
- Tai-Renee King, Natural Resources
- Andrea Fernando Campos, Mechanical Engineering
- Victoria Flores Parra, Animal Sciences
- Sofia Vazquez-Fernandez, Fisheries and Wildlife Science
- Wesley Armendarez, Environmental Sciences
- David Bugarin, BioResource Research
- Jimena Anguiano-Cisneros, Agricultural Science and BioResource Research
- Carolyn Crofford, BioResource Research
- Brandy Delguin, Horticulture
- Amber Fultz, Natural Resources
- Nicole Guevara, Agricultural Sciences
- Elizabeth Lopez, Botany
- Jessica Chairez Chavez, Biochemistry and BioResource Research
- Valeria Coronado, Agricultural Sciences
- Amelia Harper, Environmental Economics and Policy
- Daniel Gonzalez, BioResource Research
- Spencer Mitchell, Ecological Engineering
- Roberto Ponce Velez, Fisheries and Wildlife Science
- Myles Tallmadge, BioResource Research
Universidad Inter-Americana, Barranquitas, PR faculty –
- Dr. Alok Arun
- Chancellor/Rector Dr. Juan Negron Berrios
- Dr. Angel Nunez
- Alexis Morales Velez
- Christopher Sambolin
- Jesus Ramos
- Timothy Allen
- Jacobo Morales
- Jennyfer Rivera
- Stephanie Ortiz Colon
- and more!
OSU Faculty and volunteers-
- Shawn Rowe
- Kate Field
- Renee O’Neill
- Susan Rowe
- Wanda Crannell
- Emily Nicholson
- Rachel Jones
- Kirsten Wennstrom
- Lizdaly Cancel-Tirado
Support from CAS Global Experience Fund, USDA NIFA MSP and REEU, Marine Studies Initiative-Marine And Coastal Opportunities, OSU Chapters of MANRRS and SACNAS, BioResource Research Professional Development, PreCollege Programs, and SeaGrant.
Photo Credits – Jamon Jordan
2024 Puerto Rico trip
Amelia Harper - Coastal Resilience in Pueto Rico: Hurricanes and Food Security
Amber Fultz - Community-based Conservation Projects in Puerto Rico: Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability
Brandy Deliguin - Agriculture for the Tropics
Carolyn Crofford - Conserving the Canopy: Puerto Rico Inspiring Resiliency Through Cooperative Conservation.
Daniel Gonzalez Giron - Water Filtration: A Guide to Combat Water Pollution
Elizabeth Sissi Lopez - Harnessing Algae for Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency in Puerto Rico
Jessica Chavez Chairez - Building Food Sovereignty in Puerto Rico Through Innovative, Sustainable, and Resilient Agriculture
Guadalupe Licona Hernandez - Microplastics in Puerto Rico: While visiting Barranquitas we did a beach clean-up and were surprised by the amount of microplastics.
Hunter (Akúnvaan) Grove - Puerto Rican Ameiva Impacts from Invasive Iguanas
Jamon Jordan - A Community-Driven Approach to Sargassum Monitoring
Spencer Mitchell - Invaders of Paradise: Overview of Invasive Species Challenges faced in Puerto Rico
Myles Tallmadge - A Moral Muse: The fine line between inspiration and appropriation
Nicole Guevara - Puerto Rico: Budding food resiliency and farm crops
Victoria Flores Parra - Puerto Rico: Embracing Community and Sharing Passion
David Bugarin - Planting Plantains and Cultivating Community in Puerto Rico
Andrea Fernando - A Green Future for Puerto Rico
Roberto Ponce Velez - Unmatched Hospitality and Resiliency — Puerto Rico from the Perspective of an Oregon State University student Roberto Ponce Velez
Tai- Renée King - An All too Familiar Story About Hunger
Sofia X. Vazquez-Fernandez - From Mountain to Coast –Puerto Rico’s Forests
Valeria Coronado - Tourism & Puerto Rico’s Beaches
Wesley Armendarez – Emerging Hydroponic Lettuce Production in Puerto Rico
Jimena Anguiano – Aquaculture: Production of Aquatic Organisms
