2023 OIA SDG Grant and GIRG Recipients
2023 GIRG (Global Impact Research Grant) Recipients
Becky Liu-Lastres, Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
Community-based tourism (CBT) is a popular initiative that has been widely used for sustainable tourism development, especially among emerging destinations. This study in the Sarapiqui area of Costa Rica in partnership with the National University of Costa Rica, is guided by the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, a theoretical framework that critically evaluates the contribution of a development method to various community assets. Dr. Liu-Lastres’ study will (1) explore if justice and equity of the residents are considerations in an emerging destination development plan and (2) develop and test a collaborative, sustainable tourism development model for CBT.
Les Etienne, Center for Africana Studies and Culture; Eric Kyere, School of Social Work; Patricia Turley, Africana Studies
The Digital Humanities project ‘Echoes in the Africana World’ is designed to engage a transnational cohort of persons of African descent (Brazil, Barbados, Ghana, Alabama and IUPUI) in dispelling distortions about Africana culture, identity, and history as they relate to the lives of Black undergraduate students who face daily challenges in their place in the world. This project will advance SDG’s #10 Reduced Inequalities and #16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Through this transnational engagement, we seek to strengthen relevant institutions for building capacities to educate persons of African descent to take on the challenge of reducing inequalities within their own contexts, thereby contributing to a more just and equitable world.
2023 OIA SDG Grant Recipients
Matthew Hume, Director of International Programs, International Center for Intercultural Communication (ICIC)
Recognizing the growing importance of the role that academic oral and written English assumes in STEM higher education in Kazakhstan, and its implicit role in conducting environmental business in an English as a lingua franca world, ICIC has been invited by our scholarly partners at Toraighyrov to lead IUPUI’s involvement in an Academic Writing in STEM Conference to be held at Toraighyrov University, Pavlodar. The conference will lead to increased awareness of the role STEM and English instructors play in preparing the emerging generation of scholars and researchers to take action, using English as a lingua franca, towards advancing UN SDGs such as Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Goal 13, Climate Change.
Sophia Abdulahi, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine
Goal: To improve the quality of surgical education of medical students and residents in Kenya through the training of their educators. The UN Sustainable Development Goals that will be addressed are 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced inequalities, and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).The development and implementation of this faculty-as-teacher training workshop will take place at Moi University through collaborative efforts between Moi University Department of Education, Moi University Department of Anesthesia and Surgery, and Indiana University Department of Surgery.
Shonda Nicole Gladden, Social Justice Student Specialist, Multicultural Center
Tilling the Soil: A Research Exploratory Grant Proposal to Examine Social Justice Education Programs as Interventions to Address the Perpetual Impact of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade on Modern Institutions. The goal of this research is to enable the applicant to work with institutional partners to develop a viable application for the Spencer Foundation Large Research Grants on Education Program with the goal of assessing learning objectives(LOs), strengthening, and collaborating to enhance and improve social justice education and implementation at IUPUI.
Amanda Cecil, Director of Graduate Programs, Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management, School of Health & Human Sciences
The tourism and travel industries are eager to return to pre-pandemic tourist numbers. The young generations, specifically Gen Y and Z, play an important role in the tourism market and often assume a sustainable mindset. In turn, sustainable tourism development and "green" travel practices are increasingly necessary. The main purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to understand and compare the young generations' attitudes and behaviors related to sustainable travel, with a specific focus on their sustainable travel motivations. The results of this study can be used in many interdisciplinary fields of study and generate conversation in multiple disciples (i.e., sociology, business marketing, consumer behavior, sustainability and tourism). The intent is also to provide suggestions for destinations to promote sustainable travel best practices and encourage more travelers to make intentional, sustainable choices.
Tina O’Neal, Clinical Assistant Professor, IUPUI School of Education
In her exploration of special education in Ghana, Dr. O’Neal will review the need for sustainable program evaluations projects to monitor the access of students with disabilities to the general education classroom, their transition to and participation rate in secondary education, and their transition from school to work.
