Supporting SHINE (Solar Horizons Informed Network of Educators)

  • Date: May 2022 - August 2022
  • Location: CCE Cortland County
  • Intern: Billie Koffman (Billie's blog)
  • Faculty supervisor: David Kay
  • Field mentor/supervisor:  Dana Havas
  • Stipend: $5,000
Sunflowers in the foreground of an urban green space
Three collaborative NYC-based projects designed to inspire cross-campus research partnerships have been awarded grant funding from CALS totaling approximately $500,000. Above, North Brooklyn Farms, an agricultural green space open to Brooklyn community. Photo by RJ Anderson

The SHINE project builds on a year's worth of effort to build Cornell's capacity to respond to the growing demand for better research based information about the implications of large scale solar development. A group of faculty on campus engaged in or interested in solar research has met several times. A group of Extension educators meets regularly to strategize about and plan educational programming on large scale solar. There are many issues involved, but there is especially strong interest in the compatibility or lack thereof between solar and agriculture. Our goal is to create a larger and more integrated network of researchers and educators who have shared access to each other and to the most up to date information on all salient aspects of this rapidly evolving issue.

Roles and responsibilities 

The student would work closely with the CCE educator and faculty contact to conduct a kind of snowball sample survey of key contacts involved in LSR research and education. The purpose would be to assess and record the contacts' work on solar, their interest in SHINE participation, resources they might recommend, etc. The student would similarly conduct an online search for contact, programs and resources that could be made accessible to SHINE participants in a shared online database. The student would also help to populate the database with appropriate resources. The student would help prioritize and conduct any related tasks identified through the snowball survey, as time permits.

Qualifications and previous coursework

This opportunity is available to non-graduating students enrolled in Cornell University's CAS, ILR, AAP, COE and JCB.

Experience, comfort and skill in both online searches for information and contacting researchers. Strong communication skills. Good organizational skills.

Learning outcomes 

The student will learn about the cutting edge issues and policies involved with large scale solar electricity generation facilities, and become familiar with the research and education community working on these topics.