Collaboration & Outreach
Our group values interdisciplinary and international collaboration, co-development of projects with stakeholders and local partners, student mentorship and capacity building, and broadening participation in STEM.
Community-led syntheses
We are involved in data synthesis efforts with the International Soil Radiocarbon Database (ISRaD) and Carbon in Peat on EArth through Time (C-PEAT) communities to synthesize large-scale patterns in wetland biogeochemistry. By working with others in the wetland community and synthesizing results across latitudes and within climatic regions, we hope to provide results that are comprehensive and inclusive of work being done by community members around the world.
ISRaD, New Orleans, LA. Photo credit: D. Vaughn
Long-term international partnerships
Our group values long-term partnerships with collaborators and stakeholders local to study sites because the co-development of projects leads to scientific results that have a positive impact by informing land and resource management and climate mitigation planning. We have been working closely with partners in Indonesia, including Tanjungpura University and Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, for last 5 years and are starting to build additional partnerships in Alaska and Georgia.
Group hike, Bogor, Indonesia. Photo credit: N. Novita
Capacity building & student mentorship
We value student mentorship and training across interdisciplinary and international teams because diverse leadership is needed to mitigate the impacts of ecosystem disturbance on society. Over the last 5 years, Dr. Bowen worked closely with two post-baccalaureate students, two master's students, and one research technician in Indonesia with the goal of increasing capacity building in Indonesia centered on freshwater and geochemistry research, which have received less attention than soil or marine science. At Georgia Tech, our research involves undergraduate students when possible to enhance learning through hands-on experiences and broaden participation in biogeochemistry.
Lab analysis training session, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo credit: G. Anshari
Communicating results to key stakeholders
In addition to the co-development of projects, we also prioritize communication of findings from our collaborative work to relevant stakeholders, such that the results may inform land management planning by communities, non-profits, and government agencies. Dr. Bowen presented on the importance of drainage canals to the peatland carbon budget at the Peatland Stakeholders Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, and students working with our group have also presented at key stakeholder meetings. We hope that this is these are the first of many opportunities to share how our results may help inform climate mitigation and natural resource planning.
Peatland Stakeholders Meeting, Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo credit: N. Novita
K-12 outreach
We have been involved with K-12 outreach activities because early exposure to science can inspire students to pursue STEM in the future, which is especially important for increasing participation of women and girls in STEM. In the past, Dr. Bowen has been involved with the Ocean Discovery Institute K-5 afterschool program and the annual F.E.M.M.E.S Connect program to engage students with hands-on STEM activities and to share what it is like being a scientist.
The Ocean Discovery Institute holds afterschool programs and events to increase participation in ocean science in the San Diego area, and F.E.M.M.E.S. holds annual hands-on learning events to increase participation for women and girls in STEM in the Detroit and Washtenaw areas.
Peer mentoring networks
Because mentorship by peers can help normalize barriers faced by graduate students, we create and support peer mentoring networks for graduate students. In the past, Dr. Bowen co-developed two mentoring networks - one at Chapman University and one at the University of Michigan - to support students in STEM navigating graduate school before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Each program had the goal of creating a sense of community and belonging to help normalize the barriers commonly faced by students and equip students with different strategies for overcoming these barriers. Now at Georgia Tech, we aim to create an inclusive group for members to learn from each other and feel supported in their science journey.
Association for Women in Science (AWIS) group activity, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photo credit: J. Bowen
