© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 22 The Earth Scientist

Abstract

The city of El Paso is uniquely located along the Rio Grande River and borders 

of Mexico and New Mexico, all of which are situated in the Chihuahuan Desert. 

The region faces a variety of environmental threats, including habitat loss due to 

urbanization, deterioration of freshwater resources and climate change. The Border 

Region (82% Hispanic and poverty rate of 22%) is also very much an underserved 

community. Working in partnership with the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park and 

with funding provided by the NOAA Planet Stewards program, Insights Science 

Discovery (Insights) created the Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency 

project. The goal of this project was to arm high school students from underserved 

communities with the knowledge and skills to restore one acre of riparian wetland 

habitat. The project also fostered career development within STEM fields by 

providing students with opportunities to learn and engage with STEM experts. 

The students’ efforts of removing invasive species followed by the transplanting of 

native vegetation within the wetland, helped restore a small portion of this rivervalley environment while instilling a greater sense of conservational awareness 

among the next generation of decision makers. 

Introduction

The Border Region of West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Chihuahua is 

uniquely situated along the Rio Grande River and in the critical ecoregion of the Chihuahuan 

Desert which faces a variety of threats, including habitat loss, deterioration of freshwater 

resources and climate change. According to the National Park Service (https://www.nps.

gov/im/chdn/ecoregion.htm), the Chihuahuan Desert is considered one of the most diverse 

deserts of the world, and a critical reservoir for conserving biodiversity. Unfortunately, 

the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion is also one of the most endangered regions in the world 

(Briggs et al., 2019).

The El Paso Border Region in west Texas is one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan 

areas. With a steady annual population growth rate of an average of 0.7% per year between 

2010 and 2021 (U.S. Census, 2021), El Paso City and County planners have primarily focused 

on tapping into the binational workforce unique to this region and have thus dedicated 

Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency 

Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, Insights Science Discovery
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 23

projects and funding to commercial, industrial and residential growth. Unprecedented rates 

of urban sprawl have farmers and environmentalists at odds with government planners. 

Wetlands and riverside forests once dominated the banks of the Rio Grande in the Border 

Region. They were the most productive natural habitats in the area. Historically, the 

floodplains of the river used to stretch up to 8 miles wide when flooding of the Rio Grande 

occurred during spring and early summer. Native riparian vegetation such as screwbean 

mesquite, willows and cottonwood trees were once dominant in these habitats. However, 

today these historical riparian forests and wetlands are virtually gone as a result of 

channeling and damming of the Rio Grande, land conversion, border fence building, and 

stressors such as the introduction of invasive salt cedar (Tamarix spp.) (Howe & Knopf, 1991).

Wetlands serve as a vital habitat for plants and animals, act as a natural filter for water, 

decrease erosion and promote land stability, provide aesthetic value, and play a crucial role 

in combating climate change. It is well established that riparian wetlands play a significant 

role in carbon sequestration (Tan et al., 2020). Though quantitative measures in riparian 

wetlands within the El Paso Border Region are limited, if Rio Bosque’s sequestration potential 

is anything comparable to its functioning as a flourishing habitat in areas that have been 

since restored, then the Rio Bosque Wetlands in El Paso, Texas is confidently a considerable 

environment for carbon sequestration. This not only has a positive impact on local 

environmental health, but globally as well as we face environmental and climate change.

Though the Border Region faces multiple environmental challenges, a number of adult 

organizations are actively engaged in environmental stewardship, but few youth programs 

exist. With an 82% Hispanic population and poverty rate of 22%, El Paso, Texas is an 

underserved community as a whole (U.S. Census, 2022) West Texas is geographically isolated 

from the state’s environmental education services in based in 

central regions of the state. Moreover, the Chihuahuan Desert 

and its environmental issues cross city, state and national 

boundaries in the Border Region. 

Background and Site History 

Rio Bosque Wetlands Park is part of El Paso’s city park system 

and is managed by the University of Texas at El Paso’s Center 

for Environmental Resource Management (CERM). Since 1997, 

partnerships among the University of Texas at El Paso, the City 

of El Paso, the International Boundary and Water Commission 

(IBWC), Ducks Unlimited and El Paso Water Utility have worked 

to rebuild the wetland. 

The park spans 372 acres. Early wetland restoration efforts 

involved re-building the old river channel through the park and 

creating a system for diverting water from this channel into two 

large shallow wetland cells designed to recreate shallow-water 

emergent wetland habitats. 

Active restoration establishing native species and controlling 

exotic species (Watts et al., 2002), along with natural 

regeneration responses to exceptionally wet years of 2006 and 

2008, has slowly transformed the wetland park into a habitat 

Figure 1. Map of Rio Bosque Wetlands Park. The yellow star indicates

the project’s restoration site
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 24 The Earth Scientist

resembling what was once present with the historical meandering Rio Grande. In the years 

since, wildlife has increased in diversity and density, and natural progression of vegetation 

has reclaimed several of the previously cleared areas.

In the early years of the wetland project at Rio Bosque, the only available source of water 

was treated wastewater from El Paso Water’s Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant, 

located immediately north of the park. It was often only available for 3 to 3.5 months in 

late fall and early winter (Watts et al., 2002). The rest of the year, including throughout the 

growing season, the park was completely dry. In recent years, the park’s water availability 

has increased thanks to El Paso Water and El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1. 

Today, the park relies on three different water sources: treated wastewater, groundwater, 

and irrigation water from the Rio Grande. The availability of water during the growing 

season has greatly accelerated the development of wetland and riparian ecosystems at 

Rio Bosque. 

Project Goals/Objectives

The Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency project aimed to build a strong 

environmentally conscious future for the Border Region by providing young community 

members, many of whom come from underserved communities, with skills and experiences 

to promote a new generation of conservational awareness. The project’s overarching 

goal was to advance efforts that combat land conversion and shrinking wild habitats by 

restoring approximately one acre of the wetland by clearing invasives and replanting 

native vegetation. 

This project was a partnership with 

Insights Science Discovery (http://www.

insightselpaso.org/), a local non-profit 

with the mission of providing equitable 

access to Science, Technology, Engineering, 

Arts, and Math (STEAM) education, the 

University of Texas at El Paso’s CERM, and 

the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park. Keeping 

in the spirit of youth empowerment and 

environmental ownership, we enlisted 

students from a nearby high school, Mission 

Early College High School, many of whom 

had never visited nor heard of the wetlands 

despite being located only six miles from 

their school campus. Forty students worked 

side by side with restoration experts and 

researchers to understand the process and 

importance of habitat restoration. 

Since the project administrators and 

volunteers had limited time with the 

participating students, the project was 

designed to provide monthly learning 

lessons on different wetland topics and 

issues before each field trip over the course 

of the school year. For these lessons, we 

Learning Topic Presenter’s Profession

Land conservation and preservation Wildlife Biologist and Land Trust/

Conservation Administrator

Ecological Restoration and Rain Water Harvesting Biologist and Restoration Expert

Invasive Species Botanist/Ecologist

Wetland vegetation and the importance of 

wetlands

Biologist and Botanical Curator

History of El Paso water and the Rio Grande River Hydrogeologist and Professional 

Engineer

Wetland water; Water of the Rio Bosque; 

groundwater

Hydrogeologist and Geochemist

Wetland birds, particularly resident and migrant 

birds of the Rio Bosque

Wildlife Biologist and Avid Birder 

(Audubon Society President)

Burrowing owls, conservation efforts for the 

species and the role Rio Bosque plays for the owls

Urban Wildlife Biologist

Desert wildlife tracking and monitoring Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 

PhD students

Native desert pollinators and the importance of 

pollinator gardens/native vegetation

Texas Master Naturalist

Science communication, citizen science, 

participatory science, and the importance of 

diverse and inclusive science and research

Ecologist and Environmental 

Scientist

Table 1. Project’s priming lesson topics and the corresponding presenter’s profession. Priming

lessons served as a means to provide information and knowledge students would need to 

understand field trip objectives, as well as a means of career exposure and development
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 25

employed the help of local experts who presented on the topic and also highlighted their 

experience in their career field, as well as their journey to reaching that point. Several of 

these guest speakers attended in-person field trips and served as mentors to the high school 

students. The students would then participate in stewardship activities (invasive removal 

and native planting) and hands-on lessons relating to the correlating topic during the 

subsequent field trip at the site. In total, eleven priming lessons, which included providing 

introductory information for the respective field trip, a deeper dive into the respective field 

trip topic by a STEM expert, and material preparation for hands-on activities, (Table 1) were 

given and seven of the eight planned field trips took place. Due to constraints related to the 

Covid-19 Pandemic, some activities were rescheduled or canceled altogether. 

Data Collection

This project included a number of data collection activities. Students learned to collect 

physical data within the restoration area as well as at a control site (where no stewardship 

activities were conducted) at several intervals within the project timeframe. The control 

site served as a comparison for environmental assessments. The project administrator also 

collected data on student perceptions and learning outcomes. 

Environmental Monitoring

In an effort to enhance student learning and understanding 

of habitat restoration, environmental measures including 

vegetation assessments, soil and water analyses, pollinator 

surveys and bird counts were conducted by the students 

under the guidance of experts and volunteers and served 

as a means to illustrate how habitats can be monitored, and 

restoration efforts guided based on the results. The number 

of native plants installed and amount of invasive biomass 

were also monitored and recorded.

Vegetation assessments included pre and post-linear 

transects. Linear vegetation surveys (LVS) were conducted 

along a 50 m transect parallel to a water channel within the 

restoration and control sites. Image 1. Students conducting linear vegetation transects to measure and 

record present species and calculate the most dominant species at the site

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez

Image 2 (left). Students learned 

about soil dynamics within 

wetland/riparian habitats and 

conducted soil analyses to 

compare nutrient levels between 

the control and restoration sites

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez

Image 3 (right). Participating 

students learned that the 

diversity of wildlife can indicate 

habitat health. During the

project, students learned to 

identify and survey wetland 

bird species

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 26 The Earth Scientist

Species data was collected at random points along the transect both at 1 meter towards the 

water channel and 5 meters away from the water channel. This double, simultaneous LVS 

allowed for a more robust understanding of the vegetation along the varying ecotones 

within the riparian habitat. 

We had intended to conduct pre and post assessments but the second half of the project year 

was faced with pretty severe drought conditions. Water that was planned to be delivered 

to the wetland was diverted to farmers downstream in Socorro and San Elizario, Texas and 

elsewhere further down river. The wetland was bypassed by two upstream river releases in 

February and April and remained dry during the duration of the second half of the project. 

Despite this, students did learn how to conduct the assessments and learned how these 

measures are used to determine habitat health and the relationship between water quality/

quantity and vegetation along with the presence of wildlife. 

Student Learning and Perceptions 

To assess student learning and perceptions of riparian wetland restoration, we utilized 

two abstract survey techniques. The Draw-an-Ecosystem Approach (Sanford et al., 2017) 

consists of a pre-test and post-test in which students draw and label an ecosystem and is 

graded based on a rubric (https://ncsce.net/the-draw-an-ecosystem-task-as-an-assessmenttool-in-environmental-science-education/) including eight categories (abiotic/biotic mass 

transfer, energy input, trophic interactions, human activities, hydrologic cycle, atmosphere, 

system/environmental issues) each with a 0–3 score, where 0 represented no display of that 

category and 3 represents a comprehensive response. We also investigated the effects of 

hands-on educational programing on student’s environmental perceptions using Bogner 

and Wiseman’s Model of Ecological Values using an Environmental Perception (ENV) scale 

(Bogner and Wiseman, 2004). 

Multiple choice questionnaires 

regarding wetland habitats were 

scored on a 5-point Likert scale 

ranging from “strongly agree” to 

“strongly disagree”. The pre-test for 

both methods were administered 

before students were introduced 

to any habitat restoration 

concepts, and the post-tests were 

administered upon completion of 

the project. 

Results 

Environmental Monitoring 

As a result of the students’ 

stewardship efforts, approximately 

one acre of riparian wetland 

habitat was improved and well on 

its way to natural regeneration. 

The restoration site was 

dramatically improved and cleared 

of many invasive species. 

Images 4, 5, 6. Part of the 

project’s restoration efforts 

included removal of invasive 

species. Students remove

an invasive tree tobacco; 

remove tumbleweed growing 

along the water channel, and 

students amass a large pile 

of invasives during one of the 

project workdays

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 27

Vegetation pre-surveys showed that invasive tumbleweed (Salsola kali) was the dominant 

plant species within the site (Table 2). 

After invasive removal, native wetland vegetation like willow baccharis (Baccharis salicina) 

and hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens) became dominant and established in areas 

where tumbleweeds were removed (Table 3). 

A total of 65.2m3 of invasive plant material (including tumbleweed, tree tobacco (Nicotiana 

glauca) and Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense)) was removed from the site. 72 native 

plants and seedlings, including Rio Grande Cottonwood (Populus deltoides wislizenii), 

Goodding Willow (Salix gooddingii), Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), and Sand 

sagebush (Artemisia filifolia) to name a few, were transplanted while three dozen seeds were 

germinated offsite for future transplantation. 

Student Learning and Perceptions 

According to the pre-assessment survey multiple choice questionnaire a majority of 

the students had existing positive and strong beliefs about environmental science and 

awareness of their environment. This was reflected once again in the post-assessment 

survey. However, some students felt that the same beliefs and awareness may not be shared 

by their school and community. More than half the students felt unsure as to whether their 

school/community shared the same beliefs after stewardship activities were conducted. 

West - Restoration West - Control East - Restoration East - Control

# of species @ 1m 5 3 6 5

# of species @ 5m 5 4 7 7

Total # of species 6 5 9 9

Most frequent species @ 1m Tumbleweed; Coulter’s 

horseweed

Bare ground; 

Tumbleweed Tumbleweed Bare ground; Lamb’s quarters

Most frequent species @ 5m Tumbleweed Indian rushpea Bush seepweed; 

Tumbleweed

Fall tansyaster; tumbleweed; 

Lamb’s quarters

Most frequent overall Tumbleweed Tumbleweed Tumbleweed Tumbleweed; Lamb’s quarters

West - Restoration West - Control East - Restoration East - Control

# of species @ 1m 2 3 2 2

# of species @ 5m 3 3 5 5

Total # of species 5 4 6 6

Most frequent species @ 1m Bare ground; Hoary 

tansyaster

Indian Rushpea; 

Tumbleweed Bare ground; Bush seepweed Bare ground; 

Tumbleweed

Most frequent species @ 5m Bare ground; Willow 

baccharis Tumbleweed Bare ground; Willow baccharis Tumbleweed

Most frequent overall Hoary tansyaster Tumbleweed Bush seepweed; Narrowleaf 

Globemallow Tumbleweed

Table 2. Linear Vegetation Survey pre-assessment. Transects were conducted on both sides of the water channel (East and West), and both in the restoration

and control sites. Pre-assessments show that Salsola kali (tumbleweed) was the dominant species within the restoration and control site

Table 3. Linear Vegetation Survey post-assessment. Transects were conducted on both sides of the water channel (East and West), and both in the restoration

and control sites. Post-assessments illustrate that native wetland vegetation like willow baccharis (Baccharis salicina) and hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera

canescens) became more established within the restoration site, while the control sites remained dominated by tumbleweed
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 28 The Earth Scientist

The Student’s Environmental Perceptions and Behavior pre-survey (https://docs.google.com/

document/d/18F2lW1wthTGNrUKqjO1iNw1c8CVry5vnykT4NwvmGik/edit?usp=drive_link) 

illustrated little connection and knowledge about wetlands among students, particularly 

in desert ecosystems like the Chihuahuan Desert. However, the post-survey showed much 

higher correct responses to specific wetland concepts. For example, the pre-survey indicated 

that 30% of students were unsure about migratory species’ connections 

to desert wetlands. However, the post-survey showed 93.8% of student 

respondents understood these connections. This is directly attributable 

to lessons and stewardship activities as a part of this project. Finally, as a 

result of the activities and interactions incorporated in this project, more 

students have indicated that they would like to pursue a career in STEM 

fields (pre-survey: 72.5% agreed, post-survey: 100% agreed) and perhaps one 

that incorporates scientific research (pre-survey: 52.5% agreed, post-survey: 

65.7% agreed).

The Draw-an-Ecosystem pre-assessment mirrored results from the 

questionnaire which illustrated the students’ lack in understanding/

knowledge of desert wetland ecosystems. The rubric provides that an 

individual can obtain an overall score of 0 to 24. Comparing the pre/post 

assessments showed a stark increase in student scores. Most students scored 

between 1 and 2 on the pre-assessment, however, most students obtained 

a score between 5-10 on the post-assessment (Table 4). The highest score 

obtained on the pre-assessment was a score of 4 (n=2). The highest score 

obtained on the post-assessment was 15 (n =1, though 6 students scored 

eleven or higher). 

The pre-assessment drawings were rudimentary depictions of desert habitats 

displaying very basic manifestations of the following categories: External energy 

input (a sun), Geosphere (rocks/mountain features), Trophic levels/organism 

interrelationships (predator/prey), and Hydrologic cycle (a water source).

Score

Pre-assessment

# of Students

Post-assessment

# of Students

0 1 0

1 13 0

2 12 1

3 9 4

4 2 3

5 0 4

6 0 2

7 0 0

8 0 2

9 0 1

10 0 5

11 0 2

12 0 1

13 0 1

14 0 1

15 0 1

Image 7. Students work to install native plants 

where invasive tumbleweeds were removed

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez 

Image 8. A student works alongside the park 

assistant manager to plant a native willow tree 

in November 2021. Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chave

Image 9. Students plant wolfberry seeds to 

germinate plants that will be installed at the site 

once matured. Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chave

Table 4. Draw-an-Ecosystem pre and post-assessment 

student scores. Thirty-seven total students participated

in the pre-assessment, while 28 students participated 

in the post-assessment. The highest possible score is

that of 24; no students scored higher than 15 on either 

assessment
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 29

None of the students included any representation of the following categories: Nutrient 

cycling/Abiotic and biotic mass transfer, Human activities, Atmosphere, and Systems and 

environmental issues on the pre-assessment drawings. There was evidence of student 

learning in the above-mentioned categories as depicted in post-assessments drawings except 

‘Nutrient cycling’ where only a few students obtained 1 point for that category. The teacher 

agreed that this tends to be where most students struggle as these concepts were only briefly 

discussed in class. Though we did discuss nutrients and nutrient cycling in one of the lessons 

and field trips, it is illustrated here that this is a challenging concept for these students.

Conclusion 

This project helped restore a small portion of this river-valley environment and it inspired 

young community members, a majority of whom (93%) are minorities, to be stewards of 

their environment far beyond the duration of this project. It also provided the skills and 

knowledge needed to make real environmental improvements to their own communities and 

beyond. The two-pronged approach of hands-on, practical experiences coupled with career 

development via expert mentors provided a unique and perhaps singular opportunity for 

many of the participating students.

In all, students helped rehabilitate approximately one acre of desert wetland/riparian 

habitat by removing invasive species and planting native vegetation. Though carrying out 

this project in the middle of a global pandemic was challenging, we feel this project was quite 

successful and can serve as a model for future hands-on, participatory projects with the 

intention of including young people from diverse experiences, backgrounds and cultures. 

We found that these in-person and hands-on experiences connected with the students far 

more than any other classroom lesson could. 

The city of El Paso is at a critical point in its development and in order to ensure that 

natural, open spaces are conserved for future generations, it is imperative that we delegate 

the leadership and solution development to the young people that will soon inherit the 

responsibility of legislative, community, and environmental decision-making. Furthermore, 

arming high school students in this region with the knowledge and resources necessary to 

Image 10a (left). Student example of Draw an Ecosystem Preassessment shows very basic and 

elemental depictions of a wetland ecosystem illustrating the lack of knowledge and/or experience/exposure to 

these habitats. 

Image 10b (right). Student examples of Draw-an-Ecosystem post-assessment. Overall, the postassessment drawings were clear portrayals of what they had learned and experienced during their interactions 

with the project activities.
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 30 The Earth Scientist

affect environmental change empowers not only student 

participants, but an entire community of traditionally 

economically, environmentally, and educationally 

disenfranchised citizens.

Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through funding provided 

by NOAA Planet Stewards. Significant contributions to the 

success of this project were made by the various volunteers 

involved including those from the University of Texas 

at El Paso’s (UTEP) Center for Environmental Resource 

Management (CERM), Friends of the Rio Bosque, The 

Frontera Land Alliance, The Green Hope Project, El Paso 

TransPecos Audubon Society, UTEP BEE Grads, and UTEP 

faculty from the Departments of Biology and Geology. Last, 

but certainly not least, there would not be a project without 

the teacher, Mrs. Carlye Flores, and students from Mission 

Early College High School and Cathedral High School who 

worked so diligently and gave up many Saturday mornings to work on this project. 

Additional Resources

Lesson – Conservation Wetland: Impacts of Human Activities on the environment 

and biodiversity (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cDAOk7U-ovmT204IQGgrT

oEDls7hATktTj9iU88QY2M/edit)

Additional Chihuahuan Desert Educational Materials Developed by Insights 

(https://www.insightselpaso.org/sesi-teacher-resources)

References

Bogner, F. X., & Wiseman, M. 2004. Outdoor ecology education and pupils’ environmental 

perception in Preservation and Utilization. Science education international, 15(1), 27-48.

Briggs, M. K., Lozano-Cavazos, E. A., Poulos, H. M., Ochoa-Espinoza, J., & Rodriguez-Pineda, 

J. A. 2019. The Chihuahuan desert: A binational conservation response to protect a global 

treasure. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences.

Howe, W. H., & Knopf, F. L. 1991. On the imminent decline of Rio Grande Cottonwoods in 

Central New Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist, 218-224.

Sanford, R. M., Staples, J. K., & Snowman, S. A. 201). The Draw-an-Ecosystem task as an 

assessment tool in environmental science education. Science Education and Civic Engagement, 

9(1), 35-40.

Tan, L., Ge, Z., Zhou, X., Li, S., Li, X., & Tang, J. 2020. Conversion of coastal wetlands, riparian 

wetlands, and peatlands increases greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis. Global 

Change Biology, 26(3), 1638-1653. doi:10.1111/gcb.14933.

U.S. Census Bureau. 2021. National Intercensal Tables: 2000-2010. Retrieved from: https://

www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/intercensal-2000-2010-national.html

U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022. 

Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020scounties-total.html

Watts, S. H., Sproul, J., & Hamlyn, E. 2002. A Biological Management Plan for the Rio Bosque 

Wetland Park. Center for Environmental Resource Management. University of Texas at El Paso, 

500 West University Avenue El Paso, Texas 79968.

Image 11. Students work alongside volunteers to level out a water channel to 

allow for more water flow and bank inundation once water is released into the 

wetlands. Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chave

About the Author

Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, P.h.D., is 

the Environmental Education Manager 

at Insights Science Discovery where 

she coordinates and implements 

immersive environmental education 

programming. Additionally, Dr. RamosChavez is a Postdoctoral Researche

at the University of Texas at El Paso 

where she studies the intersection 

between the environment, energy 

and education. Specifically, her

research focuses on community-based 

participatory environmental research 

and community-centered outreach

She is interested in understanding 

how student perceptions and 

behaviors are influenced by immersive 

environmental and engineering 

education programming. Prior to her

appointments, Dr. Ramos-Chavez led a

United States Agency for International 

Development (USAID) funded project 

centered around cost-effective 

environmental monitoring research in 

Indonesia. Jennifer can be reached at

jennifer@insightselpaso.or