Oct. 10, 2008
Media Contact: Tara Laskowski, tlaskows@gmu.edu 703-993-8815
FAIRFAX, Va.,—George Mason University and the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park have joined to develop a comprehensive academic program for undergraduates, graduates and practicing conservationists. Multidisciplinary faculty from Mason’s Center for Conservation Studies and the Zoo’s Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability are launching the Smithsonian-Mason Global Conservation Education Studies that will provide academic opportunities for up to 50 undergraduate students per semester and accommodate an additional 60 participants in the professional training and certificate programs that the partnership will offer.
"Given the environmental threats to our planet, we must invest in the next generation of conservationists, wildlife practitioners, natural resources managers, decision makers and educators," said Steve Monfort, associate director for Conservation and Science at the National Zoo. "By advancing the career development for those who want to protect our planet, we are ensuring a sustainable future."
Smithsonian-Mason Global Conservation Education Studies offers students an opportunity to live and study at the Zoo’s 3,200-acre Conservation and Research Center (CRC), where the Zoo cares for and conducts research on more than 30 critically endangered species. New facilities, including energy-efficient residential facilities, research and computer labs, classrooms, offices and student amenities will be supplemented by access to more than 2,000 acres of natural study sites on CRC’s property. The National Zoo and Mason will jointly raise funds for the facility’s construction, which begins in 2012. In the interim, the Smithsonian-Mason Semester for undergraduates is being offered annually, and new professional training programs will be developed using existing CRC facilities and research sites.
“This community has been designed to provide the most progressive education in conservation studies available anywhere in the world,” said Tom Wood, director of the Mason Center for Conservation Studies. “People who are practicing conservation all over the world, from researchers and faculty to government and nongovernment organizations, are here participating in the resident learning experience with a diverse array of students.”
Both organizations have a long history of successful collaboration. For many years, Mason undergraduate and graduate students have visited the Zoo and CRC as part of their course work. This led to a resident learning community, the Smithsonian-Mason Semester, which was launched in spring 2008 with 15 undergraduates who received 16 units of academic credit. In addition, a joint fellowship program supports eight Mason graduate students in conservation biology.
“The Smithsonian-Mason program comes at a time when we are experiencing a global biodiversity crisis,” said Francisco Dallmeier, the head of the Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability. “The alliance with Mason will empower professionals to address the current and significant biodiversity conservation challenges facing our planet today.”
Applications are currently being accepted for the 2009 Smithsonian-Mason Semester. For more information, visit http://mccs.gmu.edu/masonSemester.
About the Conservation and Research Center
The mission of the CRC is to conserve biodiversity through scientific research, professional training and environmental education. The Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability studies and understands the complex relationship between animals, people and the environment and educates people about the Earth’s biodiversity and how it can be conserved and used wisely. More than 3,000 government officials, conservation practitioners, scientists and natural resource managers, representing more than 80 nations, have been trained by staff in wildlife management and conservation; biodiversity monitoring and assessment for adaptive management; and policy, leadership and management skills for environmental leaders. Graduates of these courses have implemented programs that contribute to species and habitat conservation in some of the world’s most threatened environments.
About George Mason University
Named the #1 national university to watch by U.S. News & World Report, George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in the heart of Northern Virginia’s technology corridor near Washington, D.C., Mason prepares its students to succeed in the work force and meet the needs of the region and the world. With strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, dance, organizational psychology and health care, Mason students are routinely recognized with national and international scholarships. Mason professors conduct groundbreaking research in areas such as cancer, climate change, information technology and the biosciences, and Mason’s Center for the Arts brings world-renowned artists, musicians and actors to its stage.
###