By Jean E. McKendry, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Research and Collaborative Activities (CRCA)
Division of Collaborative Academic Services
College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences
College of Education
The devastation in the Caribbean region caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria requires a rapid and thoughtful response from American universities engaged in the region. The Clemson Caribbean Initiative (CCI) steering committee held an emergency meeting of faculty, staff, and students on Sept. 26 to identify immediate, mid-term, and long-term responses to the disaster. With thanks to the more than 50 individuals who participated, here is an update on new and ongoing activities.
- A Clemson Caribbean Initiative web site is now live, and includes an emergency response page that includes information about conditions in the region and how to help/donate.
- Later this semester, the CCI will convene a “teach-in” about the Caribbean region and what the hurricanes’ devastation means for the future.
- The Office of Global Engagement (OGE) is investigating options for collaboration with affected universities to meet immediate needs for response and support, as well as continued collaborations over the longer period of recovery.
- The CCI is investigating opportunities to engage with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) through its annual conference, and link that activity to a proposed scientific conference about the Caribbean to be held on campus in the spring 2018.
- The deadline for internal CCI Interdisciplinary Seed Grants has been extended to Nov. 1, 2017.
- The Clemson Center for Geospatial Technologies and its chapter of YouthMappers are managing a crowdsourcing effort to document conditions on Dominica and Puerto Rico.
- OGE is working with the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) to organize and host pre-collegiate camp experiences that include students from the Caribbean region.
- Clemson faculty, staff, and students have or are initiating other projects in response to this emergency.
The Clemson Caribbean Initiative aims to promote, support, coordinate and expand linkages in teaching, research and scholarship, and service between Clemson University and the Caribbean region. A seed grant program is underway and a strategic plan has been drafted. The initiative is co-chaired by Sharon Nagy, vice provost for Global Engagement, and Gary Machlis, university professor of environmental sustainability.
