Dr. Kevin Meehan of the English Department has received a Fulbright Award for a research project based at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College in St. Kitts. Kevin will be developing educational resources on non-traditional agricultural systems for Caribbean schools, completing a textbook on hydroponics for climate change adaptation, and teaching a course in communication for agriculture majors. His course will prepare students to take the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE), and will assist them in developing a focus for the Agricultural Studies capstone project. He will also be producing a series of YouTube videos outlining all aspects of operating a hydroponic farm.
Dr. Meehan has done extensive research in Caribbean climate change adaptation, specifically in agricultural techniques such as hydroponics and the use of shade house enclosures, and has developed a partnership between UCF and Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
"This work is the culmination of seven years working in partnership with colleagues at CFBC, students from the Burnett Honors College President’s Scholars Program, and a wide range of stakeholders from government, business, and community-based organizations across the Caribbean," says Meehan.
Based on a model created by UCF students in St. Kitts combining hydroponic techniques and shade houses, the team has been awarded a grant to expand the project to Nevis, Guayana, Barbados, Trinidad, and Haiti.
"Our success is a testament to the capacity for interdisciplinary work at the place where science, humanities, business, and public policy all intersect. Dealing effectively with climate change requires this kind of collaboration and it is extremely gratifying to be directly involved with efforts that are bringing tangible benefits to our neighbors in the Caribbean as well as our own UCF students and faculty."