Mitchell Graduate Calls Collaborative Science Research “the Wave of the Future”
Her doctoral research concentration may have been the life cycle of juvenile frogs and salamanders, but Britt Cline’s research ended up involving an awful lot of humans, many of them far outside the world of biology: social scientists, economists, community members and elected officials.
And she’s convinced that’s the way of the future.
“I sincerely believe that our ‘knowledge-through-action’ framework provides the vital structure for investigating rigorous questions in conservation ecology,” Cline said. “Our work requires both collaboration with and accountability to policy makers and citizens in Maine who are working to develop viable natural resource. I believe that Maine’s identity is integrally connected to the health, function, structure, and beauty of its natural resources.”
During her time as a doctoral student at UMaine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative, now the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, Cline worked with the Vernal Pools team identifying the links between land use and amphibian habitat. The sustainability science-focused research involved innovative solutions born of multidisciplinary collaboration, such as the miniaturized amphibian tracking technology she helped develop with computer and electrical engineers. See more on this story