Cuaderno 10. Rewards, Challenges, and Outcomes of an Interdisciplinary InterculturalUndergraduate Research and Fieldwork Summer Program in Puerto Rico

7/29/2019 Cuaderno 10. Rewards, Challenges, and Outcomes of an Interdisciplinary InterculturalUndergraduate Research an

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CUADERNOS DE INVESTIGACIN

INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES INTERDISCIPLINARIAS

UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO EN CAYEY

Rewards, Challenges, and Outcomes oan Interdisciplinary Intercultural

Undergraduate Research and Fieldwor

Summer Program in Puerto Rico

Jannette Gavill

Isar P. Godrea

Lillian Ramo

Nancy Rome

Cuaderno 10

Ao 2009


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En la serie Cuadernos de Investigacin del Instituto de InvestigacionesInterdisciplinarias de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey se presentarnresultados parciales y preliminares de algunas de las investigacionesauspiciadas por el Instituto, versiones preliminares de artculos, informestcnicos emitidos por nuestras(os) investigadoras(es) as como versiones finales

de publicaciones que, por su naturaleza, sean de difcil publicacin por otrosmedios.

Los(as) autores(as) son responsables por el contenido y retienen los derechosde publicacin sobre el material contenido en estos Cuadernos.

Copias de los Cuadernos se pueden obtener solicitndolos por telfono, porcorreo regular o por correo electrnico al Instituto. Tambin se pueden descargarde nuestra pgina electrnica en formato pdf.

Instituto de Investigaciones InterdisciplinariasUniversidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey205 Ave. Antonio R. BarcelCayey, PR 00736

Tel. 787-738-2161, exts. 2615, 2616Fax 787-263-1625Correo electrnico: [email protected] web: http://webs.oss.cayey.upr.edu/iii/

Diseo de Portada: Prof. Harry HernndezEncargado de la serie de cuadernos: Dr. Errol L. Montes PizarroDirectora del Instituto: Dra. Isar P. GodreauDirectora Auxiliar: Sra. Vionex M. Marti

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Rewards, Challenges, and Outcomes of an Interdisciplinary Intercultural

Undergraduate Research and Fieldwork Summer Program in Puerto Rico

Jannette Gavilln-Suarez, Isar P. Godreau and Lillian RamosUniversity of Puerto Rico at Cayey

Nancy Romero-Daza

University of South Florida

During two summers (2006, 2007), undergraduate students from Puerto Rico and from USA

colleges and universities lived together, in common residences at the University of Puerto

Rico- Cayey Campus (UPR-C). They studied and conducted research in rural communities,

attended weekly workshops and conferences, and participated in organized social and culturalevents that complemented their research experience, away from home. Their ages ranged from

20 to 29 years. Some spoke Spanish as their native language, others English. Some had

enrolled in social science programs, while others had taken most courses in the natural

sciences. They were interested in public health, sociology, anthropology, pre-med, ecology,and psychology careers, but most did not have any previous research experience.

What brought them together was a desire to gain hands-on research training and the

opportunity to carry out applied research on health issues in communities. What they received

at the end was an educational experience that, not only strengthened their research skills, but

also enabled them to grow personally, explore their own identity, and gain a betterunderstanding of the interdependence between personal health and community health. This

article describes the implementation process, rewards, challenges, and outcomes of this one of

a kind bi-lingual, intercultural, interdisciplinary educational experience called the SummerField School (SFS) on Field Research Methodologies for Community Health Assessment at

UPR-C.

The setting

Puerto Rico is a densely populated island of the Caribbean (over 1000 people per square mile)

with a total population in excess of 3.9 million. UPR-C is one of the eleven-campuses of theUniversity of Puerto Rico system and is the

main higher education institution serving the

eastern mountainous region of Puerto Rico

and the surrounding municipalities, an areaof approximately 467,000 people (Figure 1).

UPR- C is well connected by a highway to

San Juan, the capital city, where UPR-RoPiedras, the main campus of the UPR system

is located. This campus offers undergraduate

and graduate programs to a studentpopulation of 21,500. By contrast UPR- C

is an exclusively four-year Institution, with approximately 4,000 students in bachelors

programs in the natural and social sciences, mathematics, education, business, and the

Archipelago of Puerto Rico and UPR-C service region.

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humanities. Ninety-nine percent of the faculty and student population are Hispanic and mostUPR-C students are first-generation college students from low-income families.

Building Infrastructure for Undergraduate Research

For many years, UPR-C developed as a teaching institution. Since the 1990s however, the

UPR-C began to develop its research infrastructure in order to strengthen its undergraduateacademic programs. A key part of this endeavor was the creation of the Institute ofInterdisciplinary Research (IIR) in 2000. The IIR supports applied and interdisciplinary

research initiatives that elucidate problems affecting the rural and coastal municipalities

comprising the UPR-C service- region. In 2003, the IIR received a grant from the National

Center of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHHD) of the NIH to develop itsresearch infrastructure by establishing a RIMI Program (Research Infrastructure for Minority

Institutions). The UPR- Cs Summer Field School is a key activity of the RIMI program and

of UPR-C strategic goal of increasing students exposure to research and community service inits service region.

Good initiatives, however, often take time to implement. Conducting an intensive appliedsummer research program would require becoming familiar with other summer field schools --

their philosophy, what they entailed, the kind of infrastructure needed (in terms of equipment

but also IRB and administrative procedures) and the services that needed to be available for

students. Also, since we wanted the research to impact and benefit communities of the nearbyregion, the SFS would require the identification of community partners and leaders to

collaborate with participating students and faculty. Furthermore, implementing the SFS also

required establishing partnerships with faculty from research- intensive institutions who couldcomplement UPR-C faculty expertise on research methodologies pertinent to the study of

community health.

The Importance of Partnerships

In all these respects, the team of faculty from UPR-C IIR benefited from the support of anumber of collaborating institutions and community partners. A key partner was the

University of South Florida (USF). Faculty members from the USF Anthropology Department,

Dr. David Himmelgreen and Dr. Nancy Romero-Daza were experts on issues pertaining tocommunity health. Besides, for six summers (2001-2004 and 2006, 2008) Romero-Daza and

Himmelgreen developed the field school Globalization and Community Health Field School

in Monteverde, Costa Rica as a research abroad experience for USF upper level undergraduates

and graduate students. We modeled UPR-C SFS after this course that combines classroomtraining in qualitative and quantitative anthropological methods with direct application in the

field. The USF model of SFS is also one of few programs that allows for significant interaction

of participants with local residents and seeks to involve stakeholders in the identification ofissues that are relevant to their communities.

The two schools were not identical however. Unlike the SFS developed by USF, UPR-C modelfocused on the training of undergraduates. This, combined with the fact that the program only

lasted four weeks, meant that greater efforts had to be dedicated to basic research training.

Another defining aspect of the UPR-C SFS is that rather than being a research abroadprogram UPR-C SFS was an intercultural, bi-lingual experience with faculty from Puerto

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Rico and the US actively participating in the design, development and implementation of theacademic experience.

The realization of this complex model also benefited from other partners, such as the GraduateSchool of Public Health in Puerto Rico (UPR-SPH) of the UPR Medical Sciences Campus and

Dr. Guha Shankar from the Folklife Center Library of Congress. These collaborators providedvaluable resources, training, and workshops for our undergraduates. In addition, graduatestudents trained in both quantitative and qualitative methods worked as mentors and provided

additional support to undergraduate participants. Finally, the support of local community

leaders and partners was essential. For example, the local Hospital administrator, Gladys

Melndez worked closely with the research teams, allowing faculty and students to identifyareas of research that were later explored through student projects, and that have a direct

impact in the provision of health services to the community.

The Research Experience: A Total Experience

All these alliances and partnerships, made it possible for UPR-C to have a SFS on Field

Research Methodologies for Community Health Assessment: an ambitious four-week long,intensive, bilingual course in qualitative and quantitative methods that offers research training,

intensive practice, and application of research methodologies in community health assessment

fieldwork to US and PR students. The academic program focusing in health issues that affect

Puerto Rican communities was also complemented with a program of socio-cultural activities.How did it all unfold?

Initial meeting.

The team of students, faculty, and mentors arrives early in June to the opening session, eager to

begin. This session is of utmost importance, as it opens for students the first window to theSFS. At this session, students get a feel of what is coming, talk about personal backgrounds

and career expectations, discuss specific goals and objectives, identify the course objectives,

and clarify tasks and expectations. They also review rules, regulations, procedures andcurfewsthe projected timeline, guide for visitations, conferences and activities, and outlines

of the fieldwork requirements a tightly coordinated program. The Puerto Rican students talk

among them (often with their hands too) and laugh, wide and loud. The English-speakingstudents find themselves in unfamiliar territory, silently thinking It better be good! The staff

is ready to take action so as to guarantee the best chances for all students to adjust, understand,

and succeed.

Academic Program.

Formal classes were held during the mornings, mostly in English. Content included

anthropological methods such as participant observation, informal and in depth interviews, andfocus groups, the use of quantitative methods (surveys, anthropometric measures, and

nutritional assessment), as well as methods used in areas such as visual anthropology. Students

also received English and Spanish lessons in the afternoon. A very important component wasan overview of research ethics, including training on guidelines regarding research with human

subjects, and discussions about ethical dilemmas often encountered in the field.

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Community Service

The SFS is not only as a training

ground for student researchers, but

also as a resource for localstakeholders. Responding to a

communitys need for information is,therefore, also a goal. For example,working in close collaboration with the

Cayey Municipal Hospital, we were

able to identify areas of research that

can directly impact the provision ofhealth services to Cayey residents.

Our research teams also worked in

collaboration with community advisors(neighborhoods residents) who

provided guidance through the

research process not only in terms ofthe cultural appropriateness of methods, but also in relation to the actual content of the

research and data analysis. Thus, between sunrise and sunset there is much fieldwork to do at

the SFS.

2007 SFS Glaymar Dominguez (UPR-C) (front) and Sarah Lince(Mount Holyoke College ) working on one of the SFS 2007 Health Fair

stations.

Field Work: Explorers in a rewarding and fascinating experience.

A casual observer might see a group of college students crossing the gate of the university, full

of energy and enthusiasm, feeling the pace of the streets, covering the space of the town.Depending on the research site they chose, you can see them heading to different communities

in Cayey.

Fieldwork scenario 1: The Municipal Hospital.

Students who chose to work at the Municipal Hospital enter the emergency room,sitting quietly, holding their note pads firmly and getting familiar with the setting where

they will conduct their research. They are seeing the field, taking it in, soaking it up,

capturing their first taste of being meaningfully involved in anthropological research.The 57-year old hospital building draws a monthly clientele of more than 3,000

patients. The majority are adults and females under 45 years of age, with health

insurance coverage from the government but that not have access to primary health care

services. Students arrive by dawn, and gain a pretty good sense of the disparities inhealth among low-income populations and communities. They find that this population

experiences health disparities across a broad spectrum of illnesses (hypertension,

diabetes and asthma) and in accessing treatment. As their research continues, they alsofind that the most powerful factors shaping both health status and disparities are social

and economic determinants as well as the specific physical conditions of the

community.

Fieldwork scenario 2: Communities at Cayey, Toita, and Las Vegas. Another group of students, in another summer day, find themselves driving on atwisting road. After a half an hour ride, they arrive at barrio Toita. Located in a suburb,

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purged on the end of a hill, Toita is a county sub-division (barrio) with a population of6,291 with 50 % of families living in poverty. Las Vegas, another community where

students conduct research is located closer to downtown Cayey and has a population of

3,029 with 58% poverty rate. As the students make their way through the streetslooking for the contacts that will guide them through the community, they stop to say

hello to residents who are curious about the newcomers. As they carry out theirconversations, they document the sounds, smells, and sights of their surroundings,which give them a glimpse of what life is like in the rural barrios. This is one of the

many visits they will make to the community, each offering new valuable insights.

During the fieldwork students hold meetings with community leaders that later (maybe thatsame afternoon or night) would inform the design of research instruments. They also conduct

surveys, interview people, design health assessments, collect data, and become involved in

many other activities that allow them to learn more about the health priorities of local targetcommunities and community-based organizations.

Community Core Activity: Health Fair. A key activity of the SFS is the organization

of a daylong community health fair in

Cayey. The fair takes place in the broader

area that includes the neighborhoods inwhich students conduct their research. The

event is organized as a series of stations in

which students have the opportunity tointeract with health fair participants, both

adults and children, as they collect data andprovide health-education. The data collected

include socio-demographics, food security

(assessed through the Radimier CornellScale) anthropometrics (e.g., weight, height,

skinfolds, upper arm and waist

circumference), and blood pressure, glucose,and cholesterol testing. In addition, each

student team collects project-specific data

through surveys or individual interviews

conducted during the health fair. The healthfair also includes a medical assessment

given to each individual participant in the mobile clinic operated by the Cayey Municipal

Hospital. Doctors and nurses from this institution provide a thorough check-up and neededreferrals and prescriptions. The data collected by the students provides valuable information to

the medical personnel and to residents as well.

2006 SFS students, community leader, mentors and faculty atCommunity Health in barrio Toita. Front row: Adriani Cartagena

(UPR-C), Annie Rivera (UPR-C), Gloria Lafontainne (leader),

Anamari Sierra (UPR-C), Sarah Hopkins (Belloit College), Gloria

Westerband (UPR-C). Back row: Jos A. Alvarado (UPR-C mentor),

Dr. David Himmelgreen (USF), Dr. Nancy Romero-Daza (USF),Federico Cintrn-Moscoso (USF mentor) and Calley Connors

(Dickinson College).

Presentation of Findings

Once research is concluded, students must present their findings to an academic audience and

to the community. Projects on nutrition/food security, health promotion and disease prevention,and environmental health issues were presented orally to local communities in Spanish and as

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posters at undergraduate research conferences in English (SACNAS 2006 and 2007). Thefollowing students research reports: Perfil social y ambiental del Hospital de Area de Cayey

(2006), La Salud es la prioridad de la comunidad (2007) and Perspectives Concerning

Prevention of Health Problems (2007) can be accessed through the IIR web site athttp://webs.oss.cayey.upr.edu/iii/content/cuadernos.

Socio-cultural Activities: An encounter with history, culture and nature.

While the main goal of the program is to

teach research methods, a central

component of the SFS is the fostering ofcultural exchange between Puerto Rican

and mainland students. Specially

designed cultural activities allowstudents to know one another better.

They also help to establish a learning

environment of respect, dignity, andunderstanding that fosters an

appreciation of diversity and respect for

the cultural, heritage, socioeconomic,

and gender composition of the group andthe community. The development of

social insight- a clear understanding of

culture, speech patterns (slang), music,movie and TV preferences, styles of

dress, understanding and reacting appropriately-takes time and motivation. The SFSprogrammed activities that included conferences such as Histories of Puerto Rico and the

Cayey Region, visits to natural reserves, and cultural workshops such as the confection ofVejigante masks used during carnival season and the bomba andplena (autochthonous Afro-Puerto Rican music where drumming and dancing play a key role). Workshops on salsa

dancing, especially after an SPSS workshop, were fun for both US and Puerto Rican students.

In addition to these socio-cultural activities, students received workshops on teamwork thatcomplement the academic program and facilitated the co-habitation experience at the

University residencies.

From left to right - 2006 SFS students Anamari Sierra (UPR-C), Adriani

Cartagena (UPR-C), Calley Connors (Dickinson College), Dalixis Rivera

(UPR-C) and Sarah Hopkins (Belloit College) during a fieldtrip to El

YunqueTropical Rainforest.

Rewards and Assets of the UPR-C Summer Field School

A growing body of research describes the great potential of undergraduate research to

complement a comprehensive curriculum. Undergraduate research project are associated with

enhanced student development and satisfaction, increased enrollment in graduate education,and effective career preparation (Zhao, Menzemer, Lam, 2008). In the sections that follow, we

outline how our UPR-C SFS tried to accomplish this and the challenges and recommendations

we will take into account for future SFSs.

The power of the team: Diversity

Team building is absolutely necessary to influence students success in their researchexperience. UPR-C SFS used small groups of 10 to 12 students for the establishment of a

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positive relationship and to foster open and supportive communication skills. The challengewas to work with a diverse group of students that differed in academic background,

knowledge, and skills, as well as in learning styles, mental sets, cultural backgrounds,

language, and expertise. Self-understanding and the ability to distinguish their reactions fromreactions that students from different cultural backgrounds experienced was hard for some

participants. For example, some US students could not understand why some Puerto Ricanfemale students spent so much time beautifying themselves, while Puerto Rican studentsresented the association of a natural or plain aesthetic with intellectual ability. The

management of different viewpoints and building of shared perspectives was not easy. Little by

little students learned how to work together, to take advantage of each others strengths, and to

understand the social context of their viewpoints. By the end of the summer, they hadinternalized that together they can accomplish more than alone. And they laughed together at

how intimidating the first window to SFS had been.

The power of community building

Creating community among undergraduate researchers and helping all students feel

comfortable in their research environment is an essential part of any undergraduate researchprogram as emphasized by Bender, Blockus and Webster (2008). They point out that

community building requires that students get to know each other, personally and as fellow

professionals; that mentors, students, and staff develop trust in each other; and that students

spend time with each other outside of the research venue. The challenge was to build this kindof cohesive and interactive community in 4 weeks. To achieve it, we used a variety of

strategies: living on campus, orientation meetings, conferences, seminars, field work, field

trips, social and cultural activities, daily debriefing sessions and mentoring.

The power of mentoring

The SFS had capable, cooperating, motivated and committed graduate students who served as

mentors to the undergraduate participants and who were able to provide additional support to

undergraduates. SFS mentors were trained in both quantitative and qualitative methods andplayed a fundamental role in helping students make major strides in a very short period of time.

A substantial relationship was established between interns and assigned mentors who guided

the interns to practice the necessary research skills.

The power of interdisciplinary experiences

The power of interdisciplinary research programs, experiences, and teams is evidenced in

various models described by Best, Dejongh, Barton, Brown and Barney (2007). Factors thatcontribute to the success of interdisciplinary research programs include among others,

significant institutional support for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty and

effective communication across disciplinary boundaries.The UPR- C SFS program had faculty from different disciplines (anthropology, epidemiology,

biostatistics, psychology and public health) who worked with interns on their research projects.

They helped them in the preparation of research reports and presentations at scheduledsymposia.

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The power of a total research experience

Most commonly, undergraduate research programs involve students in the conduct of research

that is already underway usually as part

of their mentors -funded projects. Suchprograms provide the opportunity for

students to collect and analyze data, andoffer them with valuable albeit limited-exposure to the research process. On the

other hand, programs such as the UPR-

C SFS, seek to involve students in all

aspects of research, from theconceptualization of the actual research

topic, to the acquisition of institutional

review clearance (IRB), the creation ofinstruments, data collection and analysis,

and presentation of results. Importantly,

UPR-C SFS also strives to achieveparticipation of community members in

the identification of research topics. This is a departure from the model followed by many

other programs, in which topics to be addressed are pre-determined by faculty members

without real involvement from community stakeholders.

From left to right - 2007 SFS students Melissa Toncic (Ithaca College),

Ilia Snchez (USF), Mitchlery Cardona (UPR-Ro Piedras) and Natalia

Rodrguez (UPR-C) during the presentation of their research to the CayeyHospital staff and community leaders at the Casa del Deporte Cayeyano

Museum.

Evaluation and outcomes of the SFS Summer Program

Crowe and Bracke (2008) recognize that assessment of undergraduate research experiences isin its early stages. Current literature presented by them and others (Ward, Dixon, 2008) proved

particularly useful for our needs assessment, helping us set up criteria for evaluatingaccomplishments.

What we accomplished.

Sixty per cent (60%) of the students who participated in the SFS continued their training as

research assistants working under the supervision of the IIR research associates or in their

independent research theses required by the UPR-C Honors Program. Most importantly 100%of the UPR-C students who attended the SFS were admitted to graduate programs. They

continued training in social work, clinical psychology, environmental management,

academic/research psychology, neuro-psychology, and law school.

These were outstanding results, but there is always room for improvement. The evaluation

component of the program yielded valuable data and suggested alternative approaches that

allowed us to enhance the content and format of the course in future years. Interns expressedwhat they had accomplished spontaneously, articulately, thoughtfully and passionately. Their

comments also reflect the uncertainty and anxiousness of each intern, the ups and downs

during the process: Language barrier made me feel a little inferior to contribution, but I feel Imade up for it in analyzing data and writing written report and translating it back to English.

One thing that needed to be addressed, that wasnt, was making sure people understood when

it comes down to crunch time, people need make personal sacrifices in order to get the job

done.. In terms of the rewards, students commented The area of methodologies, creation of

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instruments, going to the field was the most valuable(1) The most important part of this

course was the field work that was done., Working among community residents andapplying research methodologieswas the key.

The summer course accomplished a lot in a very limited period of time. It was, by necessity,

very demanding on both students and faculty. A major challenge, like in other programs, wasachieving a balance between the academic needs of the course and the individual needs ofstudents. Not surprisingly, student remarks demonstrate that time was the most influential

factor to be considered. In their words: The feeling that one may not have enough time to

achieve stated goals is uncomfortable, No one can remember all that we are told in the

orientation session, It takes time to be acclimated.

Where do we go from here?

To capture learning enrichment and help minimize the personal stress, in our next SFS we planto expand the SFS time-line to five weeks. We also plan to ask interns to keep a simple,

structured record of the process as it unfolds, as they experience each new cultural situation.

This will allow them to better understand and successfully cope with the demands of time andenergy to achieve goals within the field experience timeline. In addition, we hope to provide

opportunities for local interns to continue research at the IIR, where projects take an applied,

interdisciplinary approach to elucidate problems affecting communities of the UPR-C service-

area (http://webs.oss.cayey.upr.edu/iii/). Other challenges we face are expanding the number offaculty involved in interdisciplinary projects, enhancing communication with other academic

departments, and seeking funding and partnerships to improve and expand interdisciplinary

projects and activities.

As interns walk back home they feel, like interns in other programs reviewed, that they havecontributed to the multidisciplinary community of scholarship of their home universities; that

the experience is an excellent preparation for graduate work, and more importantly, they also

discovered something about themselves and their values. In their own words: To be able to

have the experience as an undergraduate to do research and present it to the community and to

have provided significant information to the community for possible future changes was the

most valuable experience. One student stated that the most valuable experience was To

apply what we learned but beyond that, it was the personal experiences that we acquired

during the course , as we shared with the community(2) The team-work was very good, it was

a unique experience and with so much diversity of people, languages, and fields I was able to

learn beyond the research (3).

We at the IIR-UPR-C completely agree. Nothing satisfied us more than the energy generated

when students become leaders in research and community service. One thing is clear: at theheart of success there is a team of undergraduate students, full of energy and commitment, with

a sense of inquisitiveness focused in the achievement of shared goals, working under the

supervision of research-active faculty and skillful and supportive mentors. The relationshipsdeveloped were full of intensity and power. For us at IIR-UPR-C, taking risks takes courage,

and we are ready to carry the tremendous responsibility of facing the emerging challenges

posed by the implementation of a successful summer research program for undergraduatesstudents.

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References

Bender C, Blockus L, Webster M. Creating community in your Undergraduate research

program: It isnt spontaneous. CUR Quarterly, 2008; 28:8-12.

Crowe M, Bracke D. Assessing the impact of undergraduate-research experiences on

students: An overview of current literature. CUR Quarterly, 2008; 28:43-50.

Ward RM, Dixon L. The First year experience: Miami Universitys scholastic enhancement

program - Undergraduate research option. CUR Quarterly, 2008; 29:36-40.

Zhao J, Menzemer C, Lam P. Reaching Underrepresented Students Potential Through

Undergraduate Research. Proceedings of the 2008 ASEE North Central Section Conference.Available at http://www.asee-

nc.org/Conferences/Spring08Meeting/Srping08Proceedings/pdf/set2/55.pdf. Accessed: April

17, 2009.

Acknowledgments

We want to acknowledge the excellent research and fieldwork of the SFS 2006 students Jessica

Reyes, Frances M. Torres, Edward Snchez, Anamari Sierra, Annie I. Rivera, Calley Connors,Gloria Westerband, Mlanis Rivera, Sarah Hopkins and Dalixis Rivera Students and the 2007

SFS students Abby Wells, David Nachi Vzquez, Glaymar Domnguez, Ilia Perdomo, Melissa

Toncic, Mithchlery Cardona, Natalia Rodrguez, Sarah Lince and Shirley Bejarano; the supportand enthusiasm of collaborators and community leaders Gladys Melndez, Cayey Municipal

Hospital Acting Administrator; Mirta Morales Sullivan and Gloria Lafontainne from Las

Vegas and Toita; the commitment and stamina of our SFS mentors Federico Cintrn-Moscoso,Jos A. Alvarado-Guzmn, Orqudea Fras and Aixa Alemn and the IIR-UPR-C SFS Staff.

The trust, guidance, support and friendship of Dr. David Himmelgreen are respected and

valued by all of us at the IIR. The course was offered with partial support of NIH-RIMI Project

1-P20 MDO 01112-01 and the Cayey municipal government. The USF Office ofUndergraduate Research offered financial support to the USF students participants during the

2007 SFS.

Endnotes: Original quotes in Spanish are presented below.

1- El rea de metodologas, creacin de instrumentos, ir al rea de investigacin e interactuarfue lo ms valioso.

2- Aplicar lo que aprendimos. Ms all de esto fueron las experiencias personales que

adquirimos durante el curso mientras compartimos con la comunidad.

3- El trabajo en equipo estuvo muy bueno, fue una experiencia nica y con tanta diversidad depersonas, idiomas y concentraciones pude aprender ms all de la investigacin.

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Jannette Gavilln-SurezProfessor, Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

205 Antonio R. Barcel Ave.

Tel: 787 738-2161 ext 2615, 2616Fax: 787 263-1625

e-mail [email protected] Gavilln-Surez is the SFS and RIMI Program Students Research Coordinator. She isan organic chemist with expertise in phytochemistry. Her current research interests include

ethnopharmacology in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and its application to community health,

and development of bioassays of herb products for Quality Assurance.

Isar Godreau

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

205 Antonio R. Barcel Ave.Tel: 787 738-2161 ext 2615, 2616

e-mail [email protected]

Isar Godreau is a researcher and the Director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research. Sheis a cultural anthropologist with expertise in the area of race and racism in Puerto Rico Latin

America and the Caribbean. Her research interests include race and aesthetics, current uses of

history, the folkorization of blackness, and more recently racism in schools.

Lillian Ramos

RIMI Program Evaluator, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research

205 Antonio R. Barcel Ave.Tel: 787 738-2161 ext 2615, 2616

e-mail: [email protected] Ramos is an independent consultant and research mentor for doctoral students at

Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Her expertise is in research methodologies and

program evaluation. She is a member of the Leadership Council of the InternationalAssociation for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

Nancy Romero-DazaAssociate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida

4202 E. Fowler Avenue, SOC 107

Tel: 813-974-1205

e-mail: [email protected] Romero-Daza is a medical anthropologist whose areas of specialization include

HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, reproductive health, and cultural competence in the provision of health

services. She has conducted research in Lesotho, Costa Rica, and inner cities in the UnitedStates.

Documents

Cuaderno 10. Rewards, Challenges, and Outcomes of an Interdisciplinary InterculturalUndergraduate Research and Fieldwork Summer Program in Puerto Rico