Our mission
Our mission at the Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) is to provide solutions to pressing environmental issues through research, education, and stewardship.
CEES pursues this mission through collaboration with stakeholders and community partners in order to translate research into action and policy-making. The Center delivers science education and teacher professional development to foster a more scientifically literate Indiana workforce and to increase interest in STEM careers. Though our outreach programs, CEES promotes civic engagement and environmental stewardship.
Our vision
The CEES vision is to provide leadership in developing collaborative solutions to improve community resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Our history
The Center was established in 1997 and in 2010 received the Signature Center designation, an initiative of the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research to recognize and support flagship research organizations across campus. CEES is sponsored by the IU Indianapolis School of Science and relies on grants, gifts, and donations for its operations.
An urban-rural environmental center
Applied research is important in bringing solutions to critical environmental problems. CEES is unusual in focusing on both urban and rural landscapes, as well as the urban-rural interface. Research and outreach programs, though concentrated in central Indiana, have local, state, national, and international collaborations and implications.
The three foundational pillars of the Center are:
Research
CEES strives to bring together faculty from different academic disciplines to discuss complex issues and pursue large-scale external grants. In this context, CEES is very supportive of research initiatives that cross traditional science boundaries, facilitate science-based decision-making, and feed our science education programing. Current research projects include:
- Lilly ARBOR riparian forest restoration project
- water quality monitoring in School Branch
- soil health and resilience of agro-ecosystems to summer droughts
- edge-of-field monitoring project at Starkey Farms and Little Ireland Farms to optimize phosphorus fertilization practices and protect water quality
- fluvial erosion hazard project to document the risk posed by mobile streams to infrastructure in the state of Indiana
Education
Education and outreach programs are offered as an avenue to share research discovery with the public, and the Center's K-12 programs help make science real and relevant to area youth. Additionally, these activities provide opportunities for IU Indianapolis students to become involved in science education and STEM pedagogy research. Education/outreach offerings include:
- Environmental Education Resources
- Discovering the Science of the Environment program
- K-12 teacher workshops and support
- practical engagement experiences for undergraduates interested in the environment and science education
- continuing education workshops for environmental professionals
Environmental Stewardship
Our environmental stewardship program immerses participants in experiential projects that address current environmental issues and improve natural areas in central Indiana. CEES provides service learning opportunities and partnerships with various city and state agencies and nonprofit organizations.
- Service Learning program offers stewardship activities for students, corporate volunteers, and the community
- environmental data production and dissemination
