The has obtained permanent membership to the (OTS), an international organization comprised of more than 50 universities in the U.S. and abroad involved in the study of tropics. Founded in 1963, OTS has developed programs acknowledged to be world-renowned models for tropical education and research.
Professor Donald Price and Associate Professor Patrick Hart were selected as UH Hilo’s delegates to represent the university at OTS. Professor Rebecca Ostertag and Associate Professor Elizabeth Stacy will serve as alternates.
“This is an important milestone in the growth of our programs in conservation and tropical biology,” said Chancellor Donald Straney. “We join the best in the world who are preparing the next generation of stewards of our lands and waters.”
OTS is managed by and based in Costa Rica, which has served as “the laboratory of the tropics,” for thousands of researchers and students from across the globe for over four decades. Its three biological field stations feature state-of-the-art research facilities that have made critical advances possible in the study of tropical systems. As the ‘classroom of the tropics,’ OTS’ experiential education approach has equipped multiple generations of students with the tools to understand how natural and man-made processes have shaped the tropical world.
“The university’s permanent membership in the OTS program will allow our graduate and undergraduate students enhanced opportunities to take courses and conduct research in Costa Rica,” said Price, director of UH Hilo graduate program. “UH Hilo also plans to develop similar courses here in Â鶹´«Ã½ for both UH students and international students attracted to this program.”
—By Alyson Kakugawa-Leong