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Find out more about Bob's collaborations |
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Dr. Bob Chen's world revolves around collaborations. Designing a new data gathering sensor with engineers, mapping a watershed
with environmental modelers, working with district science coordinators on new curriculum, providing support for science
teachers - whether in research or outreach, collaboration is the structure underpinning all of these activities.
The
COSEE New England program Ocean Science Education Institute (OSEI) brought
researchers and educators together to collaboratively develop ocean science curriculum, creating a model of meeting the
needs of both groups and fostering mutual trust and respect. "The largest issue is breaking those cultural boundaries
and then gaining trust among both of those communities," says Bob. "The model that was built through OSEI really got to
the understanding of how to do that."
The skills that Bob gained through his work in COSEE New England have moved with him into his continuing efforts in
education and outreach. "A lot of what I learned about scientists and teachers in that program has translated into
the other programs that I'm involved in - the GK-12 program WISP, the Boston Science Partnership," says Bob, "that
lesson about how to learn about the other's culture, gain trust, and work together to a positive result. Every time I do
one of these programs the skills, the capacities, the knowledge that you learn in one will translate into the ability
to do the next."
"How do you get collaboration across different cultures?" |
Learning to work collaboratively has had far-reaching effects for Bob. "I was able to do a lot more as a professor after
increasing my ability to work with people, to work with a different profession," he says. And being able to form
successful collaborations can also translate into attracting funding. "With that increase in capacity came more
opportunities to write grants, to working successfully in large centers, and to start centers."
One of the biggest hurdles in forming any collaboration is understanding each other's language. "Whether it's for
researchers and educators, or physicists and biologists and earth scientists, or administrators and faculty members - being
able to bridge two different cultures and facilitate interaction effectively has increased my capacity," says Bob. "I've
gained respect and trust from teachers because now I can say the right thing, I can speak their vocabulary."
Learning to cross boundaries between scientists and educators has allowed Bob to work in collaborations that cross
scientific and academic disciplines as well, such as
CESN and COSMIC. "What I'm most engaged in now is running a
collaboration, a partnership or a center," says Bob, "and I'm fascinated by that."
