Soltis Center for Research and Education:

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1 Soltis Center for Research and Education: Five yrs of successful research, academic and outreach activities 8/21/2015 Soltis Center for Research and Education

2 8/21/2015 Soltis Center for Research and Education Property and buildings donated to Texas A&M University by Bill and Wanda Soltis Opened in June 2009

3 MISSION Assist the internationalization of education, research and outreach programs in support of the university s goals. and support the University s initiatives in Costa Rica and throughout Central America. VISION Provide enriching international experiences for Aggies while protecting the Center s unique ecology and creating greater awareness of the need for preservation of our natural heritage.

4 Texas A& University Other A&M System Schools Other Programs TOTAL STUDENTS FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY Faculty visits ??

5 Program Academic Programs Outreach Advisory Board Meetings Conferences Key Activities Agricultural Economics and Leadership, Architecture, Biology, Civil Engineering, Counseling and Special Education, Ecosystem Sciences, Educational Leadership, Geography, Geology, Geophysics, Public and Rural Help, Tropical Ecology MSC FISH & FLI, Aggies for Global Education, Engineers without Borders, ESL Landscape Architecture Geology & Geophysics, Geosciences String Theory Conference

6 8/21/2015 Soltis Center for Research and Education

7 Total Nights Series

8 University of Costa Rica, National University of Costa Rica, Technological Institute of Costa Rica, National Commission for Emergencies, Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Ministerio del Ambiente, Children s Eternal Rainforest, Organization for Tropical Studies, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Municipality of Penas Blancas, among others

9 More than 100 has of primary and second growth forest, adjacent to the Children s Eternal Rainforest and the Zona Protectora Arenal-Monteverde that descends in elevation from 1,800 meters to 450 meters at the Center. A10-m meteorological tower installed in 2012 that measures air temperature and relative humidity at the 2- and 10-m heights, wind speed and direction at 10 m, solar radiation at 10 m, and barometric pressure. A 40-meter walk-up canopy tower installed in Sensors include 3 eddy covariance systems, temperature and humidity sensors, net radiometers, and leaf wetness sensors at multiple heights to provide flux measurements of energy, carbon, and hydrometeorological variables A weir dam constructed in 2012 monitors hourly discharge from the main watershed

10 RESEARCH Funded and Pending Projects FUNDING GRANT Project Colleges Years NSF $557 K REU Site: Ecohydrology of a Tropical Montane Forest DOE $870 K Improving Land- Surface Modeling of Evapotranspiration Geosciences, Engineering, Agriculture and Life Sciences Geosciences, Engineering, Agriculture and Life Sciences EARTHWATCH $44/YR Payment for Ecosystem Services and Mammals NSF $557 K REU Site: Ecohydrology of a Tropical Montane Forest Agriculture and Life Sciences Geosciences, Engineering, Agriculture and Life Sciencies,

11 Rapp, A. D., Peterson, A., Frauenfeld, O. W., Quiring, S. M., and E. B. Roark (in press) Climatology of storm characteristics in Costa Rica using the TRMM precipitation radar. Journal of Hydrometeorology. Teale, N. G., Mahan, H. R., Bleakney, S., Berger, A., Shibley, N., Frauenfeld, O. W., Quiring, S. M., Rapp, A. D., Roark, E. B., and R. W. Washington-Allen (in press) Impacts of vegetation and precipitation on throughfall heterogeneity in a tropical pre-montane transitional cloud forest. Biotropica. Houser, C. Lemmons, K. and Cahill, T. (2014) Assessing student and faculty perceptions of learning outcomes in an international Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 38, Houser, C., Lemmons, K., and Cahill, T. (2013) Role of the faculty mentor in undergraduate research experiences. Journal of Geoscience Education, 61,

12 The Center s Biodiversity More than 3000 vascular plants reported. 70 sp of mammals and 30 fish species reported More than 300 bird species, 57 reptiles and 32 amphibians have already been sighted in this region. 12

13 Grazipella soltisi Aggie Hummingbird (Snowcap)

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15 Regional Initiatives Monteverde - Arenal Initiative A collaboration to conserve the ecosystems of the Monteverde-Arenal bioregion. The Soltis Center plays an important role as the unique research center on the Caribbean side of Monteverde-Arenal Mountain range. This initiative strives to increase the understanding and protection of this biologically-rich region through greater community involvement, collaboration, and an expansion of the spatial and temporal scale of conservation efforts. 8/21/2015 Soltis Center for Research and Education

16 TO the Soltis Family for donating the Center and for supporting the activities in those last 5 yrs TO All the University Officials, Deans, Faculty and Students for supporting research, academic, and outreach activities of the Center TO local authorities, the communities and their leaders for supporting the Center and giving us the opportunity of promoting the Aggies Spirit TO all collaborators, friends and families for supporting the Soltis Center goals and objectives PURA VIDA!!!