As a participant in the Science and Global Change program for three semesters now, I feel that my knowledge in scientific thinking has been greatly improved and built upon. The scientific method and the application of scientific information are two core concepts that I have learned greatly about during my time in SGC. Being aware of its intended usage has made me more perceptive of its misuse in society, of which there are numerous examples. I would say that the greatest example of misappropriated scientific information in recent years is the anti-vaccine “movement” which has recently gained bigger traction with the advent of COVID-19. I was well aware of the existence of the anti-vax believers in the United States even before the outbreak of COVID, these “original followers” themselves forming their beliefs off of the unfounded idea that vaccines caused adverse effects such as autism. In fact I believe that I’ve heard the major origin of the anti-vaccination movement in the United States came about from a paper that was plagued with not only severe instances of research misconduct, but also conflict of interests, and probably falsehood. The outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting vaccination and masking mandates exercised by the government brought about a whole new type of anti-vaxxer, one not motivated by false medical reports, but instead by misinformation and politically driven conspiracy theories. In this case, the scientific method was almost completely neglected and instead anti-vaccine beliefs were stirred from the idea that the government was attempting to harm the public or limit their personal freedom. Another example of pseudo scientific thought discussed in SGC was the concept of climate change denialism, where believers choose to deny the existence or severity of global warming despite the vast amount of proof stating the contrary. In my second semester, I took AOSC200 and AOSC201 where I utilized my knowledge of applying scientific information to connect global warming to extreme weather events as well as economic and societal effects such as reduced crop output (and resulting negative impact to the agricultural industry) and health effects (ie. an increased risk of heat stroke or respiratory disease). I would say that the scientific method process discussed in SGC during colloquium also helped me to solidify my decision to pursue a degree in computer science. For my coding based classes like CMSC 132 and CMSC 216, I used a very similar process to the scientific method where I would test out different code to see what would satisfy the requirements for my projects, ruling out any solutions that proved to be unsuccessful. Using this process was beneficial to my ability to finish projects successfully as it was much more efficient than simply trying to brute force (test random solutions) my code into success. Using the same sort of methodology was also helpful for my CMSC250 class, which was unique amongst my other computer science classes in that it was based more on proving theories than doing physical coding. Each proof was just like a small experiment in itself, with me being able to apply the same sort of “trial and error” process. SGC has been a valuable source of collaboration and cooperation, which has led to me forming relationships with many people who are both inside and outside of my major. There are quite a few people I know from SGC who have helped me with assignments and studying in general, be it reviewing material from lectures together to working on homework assignments together after class. Relationships such as these have definitely enhanced my learning experience at UMD, just another reason why I am thankful for having participated in SGC. I will admit that I believe I probably could have been more involved in SGC. While I did my best to attend colloquium every week and participated in both the service day and excursion to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, there were some opportunities that I didn’t take. Becoming a peer mentor was something that I was greatly interested in, but unfortunately did not have the time to participate in. Another opportunity that I unfortunately missed out on was the SGC trip to the Grand Canyon in the Spring break of my freshman year, but this was due to COVID-19 restrictions rather than my personal inability. I hope to make up for the experience by participating in the Hawaii trip during this Spring break, I feel like it would be a good opportunity both to learn and see the world, as well as form some lasting relationships with my SGC peers before the end of the program. While my direct contribution may not have been large, I did my best to actively participate during colloquium to answer questions and take charge by helping to coordinate efforts for in class assignments. Hopefully my small efforts were enough for someone to have felt more invigorated about the class or more inclined to participate, even if it were just one person. I will admit that before my time in SGC, I was not fully aware of how dire of a situation we are in environmentally. This is not to say that I believed that climate change didn’t exist or that I had taken a nihilist view and saw it as an unsolvable problem for humanity. I simply thought that resources and time would be better spent on solving other problems such as world hunger or dwindling resources. My participation in SGC opened my eyes to just how severe of an issue global warming was and that it will very quickly become a major threat to humanity if left unresolved. Since the colloquium where we discussed alternative, more carbon neutral solutions for power and transportation, as well as the types of carbon sinks present in the world, I have convinced my parents to install photovoltaic panels on our house and am in the process of convincing them to consider buying an electric vehicle the next time they get a new car. SGC taught me many skills that will be useful in the future, no matter what situation I’m in. The ability to identify logical fallacies and effectively use scientific information will be effective for any formal debate or academic papers and presentations I could make. My experience at SGC taught me how important it is to be aware of our surroundings and take care of them. If there is any major idea to be taken away from my experience, it would be that you be reasonably skeptical of all sources, but should never shy away from taking action. Back to home.