Achievement

One of the core programmatic elements of the A2C2 IGERT is an annual two-day retreat at the beginning of each academic year. The goals of the retreat are: a) to serve as an orientation for new members, and begin socializing them into the interdisciplinary culture of the program; b) establish and maintain connections among all participants and provide community building activities for all; c) provide networking opportunities with Adaptation Partners. In September of 2012, we held our first annual retreat at the Schoodic Education and Research Center in Acadia National Park. Over twenty (20) people attended, including faculty, staff, and our first cohort of five (5) trainees. The retreat featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Paul Mayewski (Director of UMaine's Climate Change Institute) on abrupt climate change, research overviews from our trainees, and a variety of sessions focused on organizational structure and strategies for institutionalizing the A2C2 IGERT at UMaine.