The College Park Scholars Science and Global Change Program has helped me become more adept at planning for resilience in a future of global change by giving my tools and knowledge to try and better anticipate future change through different activities, namely, learning to think more critically about the world and not take things for surface value, helping me relate course material about climate change to my major, learning through service oriented activities, learning from fellow peers about new ways to approach problems, and finally simply presenting us with current information regarding the state of our climate and what possible future scenarios lay ahead.
One of the most important skills I was able to refine while a part of the program was using the hypothetico-deductive method of science. I used this method of thinking extensively while I was enrolled in a supporting SGC course during the Spring 2020 semester. The supporting course was a physics laboratory course which supplemented a lecture course. In the lab, we conducted a variety of experiments relating to concepts discussed in the lecture component of the course. However, the experiments went beyond simply physically demonstrating and validating the theoretical phenomena discussed in the lecture. The laboratory course also sought to demonstrate and subsequently make us think about extensions of phenomena described in the lecture and sometimes even new phenomena not mentioned in the lecture. As a result, we had to formulate hypotheses as to the interdependence of the newly introduced parameters to try and accurately predict the lab's results. Sometimes we were successful but other times we were not. The hypothetico-deductive method allowed us to, in the end, effectively demonstrate whether or not certain parameters effected the new phenomena or not.
Throughout the three semesters, there were many units presented, focusing on a variety of topics. Regarding which unit was the most effective in helping me enhance my attitude and approach toward my major of aerospace engineering, I believe the unit where we were introduced to several models predicting the extent climate change for certain continued carbon emissions scenarios had the greatest impact on my desire to continue to pursue my declared major. The unit made me realize the important implications that emissions at the current rate have for the future of the planet's climate. It also made me draw parallels with current emissions challenges in the aerospace industry and how they relate with the Science and Global Change program. This has allowed me to not only gain a better understanding of the industry itself as a whole, but also made me realize a key role I could play in reducing these emissions in the future, which are both beneficial to the environment and operators of aircraft or spacecraft.
Transitioning to SGC activities, I personally believe that I have been active in a good deal of SGC activities such as colloquium discussions and field trips. Colloquium discussions always provided me with a chance to express my thoughts and how I viewed certain problems. In doing so not only do I believe my peers gained new insights, but also, I was able to defend my views in debates or see how they were flawed based off my peers' arguments. Additionally, I was very active on the SGC Scholars' Service Day at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens where I was able to work with fellow peers in transferring many plants from one pond to another. We were able to develop an efficient delivery system with two people extracting plants and two more carrying wheelbarrows to the next pond. This system allowed us to finish our section quickly and we were able to later help load invasive plants onto a truck. Finally, I also helped guide fellow students around D.C and back to College Park while participating in the Smithsonian Scavenger Hunt Activity.
A great benefit that I found a "living-learning" program offers, were the interactions I had with my fellow peers, particularly during class activities, because SGC frequently brought me into contact with people whose concepts challenged previous beliefs or opinions I had. I found these interactions to be beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, I was able to improve my learning by hearing what others had to say and I was able to think about complex problems in ways I could not have imagined all on my own. Secondly, if there was a disagreement between my views and one of my peer's views, I could defend my ideas with the research I knew and as a result, would also practice debating at the same time. These interactions have greatly enhanced my learning because the discourses and disagreements occurred more naturally and thus, not only more accurately reflected real-world interactions, but also often delved into deeper conceptual arguments. This is contrary to other courses where (in my opinion) the more structured lesson sometimes only scratches the surface of certain issues, not to mention that the it also making students choose sides. In my experience, this more relaxed approach to group discussions created very interesting and fruitful discussions and disagreements which I was able to learn from during every colloquy.
In conclusion, I believe that my Scholars experience will inform my future because it has given me the tools and knowledge to think more critically about the importance of global climate change, access and exposure to current research being conducted, the relations of climate change to world events, and the possible precedents set forth by the actions of countries around the globe. I believe that with this knowledge gained throughout the three semesters, I can not only have a more informed idea about what the future may have in store overall, but also be better prepared to face it, as a result.