KEANmag
5
in the
World
Finca La Anita, Guanacaste
Province, Costa Rica
Dr. Daniela Shebitz, a faculty member in
the School of Environmental and Sustain-
ability Sciences (SESS), explains why Costa
Rica represents an ideal location for student
research. “Where we study in Costa Rica is
a site that is remarkably unique in its diver-
sity. We study on the slopes of the Rincon
de La Vieja volcano - where the cloud forest,
rainforest, and dry forest meet. Having these
three ecoregions converge provides endless
possibilities for inspiration and research.”
While in Costa Rica, Dr. Shebitz was intro-
duced to “Seeds of Change” – an academic
organization that hosts groups of Minnesota
high school students to conduct research.
Dr. Shebitz was impressed with the program
and inspired to make it happen for the New
Jersey high school community. She ap-
proached Dr. Juyoung Ha and Dr. Feng Qi,
fellow SESS faculty members, and the three
formulated an idea to make the program
even bigger.
“Our goal has always been to make Kean University a global
research institution,” Dr. Ha explains, “and we realized we had
an opportunity to connect China, our NJ Highlands center
and Costa Rica through this endeavor.”
Drs. Ha, Qi, and Shebitz tapped into Kean’s ongoing partner-
ship with China and invited six Chinese university students
(two from Wenzhou-Kean) to participate. The group spent
three weeks in New Jersey developing business plans for
Kean’s Highlands campus. Afterwards, they traveled to Costa
Rica and were joined by eight New Jersey high school sci-
ence teachers as they visited Seeds of Change in Finca La
Anita. The group learned about the offerings of the program
and then collaborated on customizing the experience for
future students.
Dr. Shebitz summarizes the importance of establishing this
connection in the Garden State. “In New Jersey, it is all too
easy to grow up without understanding how our health as
individuals and collectively as humanity are connected to the
rainforests…We want to bring students who have grown up
without this connection into the heart and lungs of our planet
so that they can experience the sounds, smells, and physical
beauty of the tropical forests.”
