Clemson University staff to travel to Colombia as Climate Change Fellows

By Partners of the Americas

WASHINGTON,DC – June 20, 2011 – Clemson University’s Daniel Hitchcock, James London and EricRodgers will travel to Colombia on Climate Change Fellowships offered byPartners of the Americas through the Department of State’s Bureau ofEducational and Cultural Affairs from July 23 until Aug. 6.

During their fellowships, they will build sustainable relationshipswith Colombian professionals and organizations in diverse communitiesaround the issue of climate change in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fellows were chosen by representatives of the U.S. Embassy inColombia in conjunction with members of Partners of the Americas on thebasis of their work with climate change and environmental issues:

• Hitchcock has worked as an assistant professor in the biosystemsengineering program in the agricultural and biological engineeringdepartment at Clemson since June 2006. His primary research interestsrelate to coastal hydrology, water quality and land-use change,especially in areas with shallow water tables.
• London is the associate dean for research and graduate studies inthe College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. London has beeninvolved in climate change research more than 20 years, starting withsea-level rise projections in the U.S. and energy-efficiency studies toreduce greenhouse gas emissions in China and Mexico for the World Bank.
• Rodgers works for Clemson’s Your Day radio program and producessegments for broadcast on public radio; hosts a live call-in program ontechnology-related topics; and produces video for distribution ontelevision, DVD and the web.

While in Colombia, Fellows will interact with leading climate changeprofessionals and organizations to harness the power of citizendiplomacy and link it to long-term engagement around climate changeissues that affect multiple communities. The professional talents ofthese Fellows will match those of their host institutions, withpartnerships already created between the Colombian Ministry of theEnvironment and the Environmental Protection Agency, the PresidentialInitiative Against Illicit Crops and Conservation International.

Headlines from Colombia show the need for increased understanding ofclimate change. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos declared thatrecent heavy rain that impacted the lives of more than 2.3 millionpeople was the worst natural disaster in the history of the country.

Clemson Fellows will be hosted by Coralina, Bioma Ingenieria Ambiental Ldta./University of Cali and El Espectador, respectively.

The Climate Change Fellows Program
The ClimateChange Fellows Program seeks to build bilateral relationships andcapacities between climate change institutions in the U.S. and Colombia.In 2011, 44 Fellows, evenly representing both Colombia and the U.S.,will travel to their respective countries to exchange knowledge throughtheir work and experiences. The Climate Change Fellows are a first stepto constructing a global network of climate change institutions in theAmericas. Learn more at www.partners.net/climatechangefellows.

Partners of the Americas
Partners of the Americasis an international grassroots network that connects volunteers,institutions and communities to serve and to change lives. Inspired byPresident John F. Kennedy, today it is one of the largestvolunteer-based organizations in the Western Hemisphere engaged insocial, economic and cultural development. By linking Latin America andthe Caribbean with counterparts in the United States, Partners of theAmericas acts in long-term, focused partnership with the people andplaces of the Americas. For more information, visit www.partners.net.

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
TheU.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs(ECA) sponsors exchange programs and activities for students, educators,artists, athletes and professionals in many fields in the United Statesand in more than 160 countries around the world. Alumni of ECA exchangeprograms comprise more than one million people, including more than 40Nobel Laureates and more than 365 current or former heads of state andgovernment. The Climate Change Fellows Program is among the StateDepartment’s professional exchanges. For more information, visit http://exchanges.state.gov/citizens/profs.html.

The South Carolina-Southwest Colombia Partners
Foundedmore than 30 years ago, the South Carolina-Southwest Colombia Partnersis a volunteer led, private non-profit, non-partisan organization whosemission is to connect South Carolina people, businesses, institutionsand communities with our counterparts in our sister chapters in Cali’and Pasto, Colombia. Throughout its history, the SouthCarolina-Southwest Colombia Partners have worked to change lives throughlasting partnerships. Over the years the partnership has initiated andsustained many programs to accomplish its mission, including healthprograms that have transferred tens of thousands of dollars worth ofmedical equipment to hospitals in Colombia; education programs that areconnecting classroom in Cali’, Colombia, with classroom in Columbia,S.C.; micro-loan programs to support entrepreneurial efforts in Pasto;and, most recently, the development of youth programs involving youngpeople in community service and building for the future of ourpartnership. In 2010, the South Carolina partners revitalized itschapter membership in Clemson. Several new partners members in Clemsonare leading efforts with the Climate Change Project.