The Center for Advanced Undergraduate Studies and Experience (CAUSE) is a unique center that supports the educational mission of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, providing special services, courses, and facilities that are not available at the departmental level. A goal of the center is to promote undergraduate research and study abroad/study away. CAUSE-sponsored courses provide “real world experiences” for students – a chance to leave the classroom behind and spend time tackling a topic of contemporary importance in the field.
About CAUSE
CAUSE was created in the early 1990s to promote interdisciplinary, problem-based learning opportunities for undergraduates. The centerpiece of CAUSE is a multi-semester seminar course that allows students to do theme-based research both in the classroom and out in the field. CAUSE courses focus on the political, economic, and physical environment of a selected country or area. The two-semester CAUSE courses, open to rising juniors and seniors in the social sciences, natural sciences and engineering, also include a Maymester or summer travel component.
CAUSE 2023
CAUSE 2023: Visualize the COVID-19 Pandemic with Geospatial Technologies (EMSC 470W Sp/Su/Fall 2023) is an exploration of geospatial technologies and how they can be used to solve real-world problems.
Students will engage with adult working professionals to prepare for geospatial careers after graduation, work with international students at a research and technical university in Europe, gain first-hand experience using geospatial technologies to visualize the COVID-19 pandemic, develop solutions to address a pandemic, visit international mapping and humanitarian organizations in Austria, Slovenia, Germany, and Czech Republic, apply geospatial technologies to create visualizations and analyses of COVID-19 data, and participate in a unique education-based research and study abroad opportunity to learn more about and utilize geospatial technologies' ability to address a humanitarian crisis.