I am pleased to announce that Dr. Sonia Ortega has joined the Network Office for a temporary assignment. During her sojourn here, Sonia will focus on strengthening the connections between LTER research and education programs, as well as the interactions between education and international programs.
Sonia is uniquely qualified for this assignment. Originally from Nicaragua and Honduras, she studied biology at the University of Costa Rica. She joined NSF while a research associate at Duke University. Her ecological research background combined with her NSF educational experience and her international experience through the NSF-NATO program affords her the tools to communicate effectively between the education community and the LTER and ILTER networks.
While at the Network Office, Sonia plans to increase the understanding of NSF goals and programs among LTER scientists and students. This increased understanding will allow students at LTER sites to benefit more from NSF programs in graduate education. In addition, Sonia will have an important positive effect on our efforts to incorporate activities focusing on K-12 education into the LTER program. For example at NSF, she assisted in the development of the G-K12 program, in which graduate students are a conduit for information to flow from NSF research programs to K-12 educational institutions. LTER's more than 400 graduate students provide a pool of excellent candidates for this program, and Sonia can help them learn more about getting involved.
The international network of LTER sites in over 20 countries provides opportunities for graduate students to collaborate with international colleagues and institutions. During her time in the Network Office, NSF International Programs director Christine French facilitated international exchanges of graduate students between U.S. and Asian LTER networks. Sonia hopes to inform the LTER network about how similar exchanges may be developed for Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
We are pleased that the University of New Mexico and the National Science Foundation have agreed to Sonia's assignment. The University of New Mexico will benefit directly from the detail by strengthening the expertise available in the LTER Network Office. Graduate students involved in LTER research programs at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University as well as other research programs will benefit through increased understanding of NSF programs and access to advice about them. This access would be particularly important to minority students, who make up a large proportion of the students enrolled at these two institutions. Sonia's assignment to the Network Office is a perfect fit to the goals of the recent NSF initiative on Environmental Research and Education. Ultimately, Sonia will contribute to the integration of research and education, one of NSF's highest priorities.
Please join me in welcoming Sonia to the LTER Network. You can contact her at 505/272-7350 or sortega@lternet.edu.
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