So a group of atmospheric science and environmental engineering students are learning about crops, soils and water quality. And, soils students are learning about atmospheric sciences.
As important, all the students are learning about the broader political and policy implications that come out of their science.
Through the prestigious National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program, a group of WSU researchers received $3 million to train approximately 30 new doctoral students over the next five years. The students are studying and conducting research related to nitrogen in the environment while also receiving training in policy studies.
Nitrogen plays an important role in a number of environmental topics, including climate change, air and water quality and ecosystem health, said Brian Lamb, primary investigator on the grant and Regents professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Although the issue of nitrogen cycle management is not well known outside scientific circles, it is listed as one of the most critical 21st century “grand challenges” by the National Academy of Engineering.
The amount of nitrogen in the environment has risen by 120 percent in the past 40 years, thanks largely to the use of synthetic fertilizers. While fertilizers have increased affluence of societies around the world and fed growing populations, changes to the nitrogen cycle are having dramatic and poorly understood impacts around the world.
As part of the grant, the first five IGERT students, along with seven other graduate students, are taking a new course, Nitrogen Cycling in the Environment. Designed to give a baseline understanding of nitrogen’s role in the environment, the course teaches about biological and physical processes and how they are linked in the nitrogen cycle. Taught by faculty from three colleges, the wide ranging lectures have attracted many faculty members in addition to the students.
“The faculty has really bought into this, and we have all really learned a lot,’’ Lamb said.
The second part of the grant is a unique Policy Studio course. The science and engineering students are immersed for a semester in the basics of government regulations as well as more specific environmental policies related to nitrogen, such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
The students work with faculty from political science to map out the policy aspects of their research topic. As they write their dissertations, one chapter must relate to the policy implications of their research.
“It’s pretty unique,’’ said Lamb. “There are a small number of programs that include policy issues, but this is the only one focused on nitrogen issues.’’
Some policy issues pertinent to the nitrogen cycle include regulation of nitrates that may cause pollution in groundwater and emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
“Everywhere you turn, there are calls for scientists to be better communicators, to take a more active role, and to have more involvement in policy,’’ Lamb said.
This spring, students participating in the course will travel to Washington, D.C., where they will meet with congressional and regulatory agency staff. In addition to receiving a primer on policy issues, the visit also will set the groundwork for future internships. IGERT students are required to participate in internships and may end up working in a national lab or for a regulatory agency such as the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
“These agencies really need help. The students will not just be doing busy work,’’ said Lamb. “Our expectation is that these students won’t necessarily become policy experts, but that they will be better scientists and engineers who have an understanding of policy and its importance.’’
For more information about the IGERT program, see http://igert.nspire.wsu.edu.