Over spring break 2023, Penn State graduate students traveled to Arizona to participate in a transformational research experience as part of the Landscape-U program. During the week students visited sites connected to food, energy and water topics, the focus of the trip. They also visited traditional working landscapes within Navajo Nation and learned firsthand about the Nation’s rich culture and history.
Landscape-U is a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) program designed to engage graduate students in transdisciplinary activities to find solutions to societal issues around food, energy and water. Erica Smithwick, distinguished professor of geography and director of Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, is the lead investigator on the project.