Strategic alliance between Stevens Institute of Technology and Punta Cana Fundacion Ecologica
A strategic alliance has been formed between Stevens Institute of Technology and the Punta Cana Fundacion Ecologica, established in 1994 by the Punta Cana Resort and Club in the Dominican Republic. The Fundacion Ecologica, directed by Kelly F. Robinson, manages a 2,000 acre natural reserve for enjoyment and research, the Punta Cana Center for Biodiversity and Sustainability. Stevens conducts research and educational programs, including a Biodiversity Program in concert with the Punta Cana Center. The Stevens program is directed by Dr. Athula Attygalle.
The Fundacion Ecologica and Stevens have committed to a comprehensive, forward-looking alliance based on research, the preservation of Punta Cana’s vital natural resources, the training of K-12 science and math teachers, and scholarships for qualified high school students from the Dominican Republic.
This strategic relationship is the shared vision of Theodore W. Kheel, internationally acclaimed labor attorney and partner of the Punta Cana Resort and Club, and Dr. Erich Kunhardt, Dean of the Imperatore School of Science and Arts at Stevens. Stevens President, Harold J. Raveche, said, “This alliance is something that we are very excited about, as it is a great fit with both the current and future directions of the university in education and research.”
Dr. Attygalle, a professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has been named the director of the Chemical Ecology Laboratory (CEL) in Punta Cana. The Fundacion Ecologica has provided modern research facilities for the CEL at the site of the Biodiversity Lab. The CEL has full-time scientists in biology, chemistry and molecular biology, as well as full-time research technicians, employed in Punta Cana.
Attygalle and the researchers in Punta Cana are working to decipher the intricate chemical language of insects, plants, and microorganisms in the richly diverse natural reserve of the Fundacion Ecologica and throughout the Dominican Republic.
To nurture and prepare future generations of Dominican scientists and engineers, it is planned that the Stevens Center for Improved Engineering in Science Education (CIESE) will develop K-12 teacher training programs to help math and science teachers in the use of instructional technologies. Initially, the focus will be on the private school established for all students from Punta Cana and its neighboring communities. Subsequently, the training program will be extended to other public and private schools throughout the Dominican Republic. For qualified and interested high school graduates, Stevens will provide scholarship support to help advance their education in engineering and science. CIESE has K-12 teacher training programs in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru and also conducts teacher training institutes on the main campus of Stevens.
To protect soil and water resources which are so vital to the future of the burgeoning resort industry in Punta Cana, and the viable economic growth of the Dominican Republic, the Stevens Center for Environmental Systems plans to work with local and international agencies. This center has extensive experience in soil remediation and water purification throughout the United States and in international locations, such as Bangladesh, where arsenic contamination of the water has been a severe problem.
To safeguard Punta Cana’s coastline from erosion and to ensure the environmentally sound operation of marinas and harbors throughout the Dominican Republic, the Stevens Center for Maritime Systems plans to develop cooperative research and educational programs. This center is currently serving as a resource for the Port of New York and New Jersey, the US Navy, and the US Coast Guard. The scientists and engineers in the center conduct programs to protect New Jersey’s coastline – which supports a $12 billion tourism industry – maintain a coastal warning system, and develop computer-based models that predict the distribution of pollutants in streams, estuaries and the open sea. The center is also involved in the analysis and disposal of dredged materials.
The Punta Cana Center for Biodiversity and Sustainability seeks to influence regional hoteliers and is uniquely placed to be a leader in the sustainable development arena. Punta Cana Resort and Club President, Frank Rainieri is Chairman of the National Hotel Association's Environmental Committee and the founding Chairman of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, an industry initiative to promote environmentally responsible tourism.
The Caribbean, the world's most tourism-dependant region, relies heavily upon the beauty of its natural resources. "This unique collaboration of the scientific and business sectors is a model of partnership and will be instrumental in creating viable solutions for tourism businesses in the Caribbean," stated Raineri. Punta Cana Resort and Club has been a pioneer in the development of the tourism product on the east coast of the Dominican Republic and has a long-held philosophy of respect for social and environmental conditions.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.
Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.
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