Student Engagement
This summer at Rice, VCU students have the opportunity to enjoy their classroom time outdoors. Several course offerings at Rice provide students with vital field experience and unique learning opportunities. This year's cohort will spend the Summer term learning about ecology, insects, drones, and the natural and human history of the James River, all while immersing themselves in the outdoor classroom at Rice. Students will come away with experiences deploying field equipment, identifying organisms, participating in archaeological investigations, and operating drones.
In addition to the Summer session, Rice also offers a wide array of scholarship opportunities which provide students with pivotal experience working collaboratively with Indigenous and community groups, processing environmental data, studying birds, and environmental stewardship. Avian ecology scholars will contribute to a 40 year Prothonotary Warbler nestbox study and conduct avian point counts on lands owned by Rice community partners. Scholars selected for environmental stewardship projects will contribute to inventory, management, and conservation of natural and cultural resources. Projects within this research team include working with community partners mapping culturally significant plant species, documenting habitat/wildlife associations pre and post-restoration, and assisting in the design and installation of sustainable gardens and a living shoreline at the Rice Rivers Center.