University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Presenters: Marisabel González Acevedo, Kermit Robles; Adriana Morales University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Project: TERRASCOPE: Design for Complex Environmental Issues
Description of the project: TERRASCOPE: Design for Complex Environmental Issues is a hands-on, intensive, and team-based program developed by MIT in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce and Diné College. Students are presented with a real-world environmental problem affecting a community and challenged to research, analyze, and propose a viable solution that balances technical, social, environmental, and cultural factors. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, requiring students to work in diverse teams and communicate effectively despite geographical distance. Digital tools such as Zoom and Canvas were used for weekly sprint-style tasks, and research applications were used to organize tasks, share data, and structure the project timeline. These tools enabled teams to maintain consistent collaboration, share ideas efficiently, and develop well-founded proposals.
The project’s success is demonstrated by the development of viable, community-oriented solutions supported by research, data analysis, and stakeholder input. The students improved their problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills while dealing with real-world constraints in environmental engineering and technology design. The structured sprint approach fostered continuous progress and iterative improvement. Overall, the experience reinforced the importance of collaboration, technical analysis, and culturally sensitive design to address environmental challenges.
Biographies:
- Marisabel González Acevedo
-20 years old
-Third year Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce. - Kermit Robles
-19 years old
-Second Year Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce. - Adriana Morales
-19 years old
-Second Year Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering
-Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico