Santa Fe, New Mexico D'11
At A Glance
Term – D 2011
Project Opportunities – IQP
Housing – Shared student apartments
Director – Professor Fabio Carrera
Preparation – 1/2 unit preparation activity in C 2011
Application Deadline – October 1, 2009 (before 1:00 pm)
LOCATION
Santa Fe, capital of New Mexico, is the oldest (1610 AD) and highest (7,199 ft) state capital in North America. Nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe is a quaint, human-scaled town of 70,000 perched high above the Rio Grande in north-central New Mexico. In less than a half hour, it is possible to go from downtown Santa Fe up into the national forest, where skiing at over 13,000 feet is available until April.
Santa Fe is a major center for Native American culture and a Mecca for both active and retired scientists and avant-garde artists. Due to the proximity of Los Alamos National Lab and the establishment within its boundaries of the world-renowned Santa Fe Institute (SFI), founded by George Cowan (WPI class of '41), Santa Fe has attracted world-class researchers, including several Nobel-prize winners, in the advanced field of complexity theory applied to physics, biology, economics and political science. Recently, the Santa Fe Complex (SFx) has been created to provide a space where art and science can interact for the benefit of the community. The WPI Santa Fe Project Center has established a solid collaboration with the Santa Fe Complex and most of the projects will be hosted in the refurbished warehouse that hosts the SFx near the rail yard in downtown Santa Fe.
PROJECTS
Despite its small size, Santa Fe is a sophisticated cosmopolitan and eclectic place where exciting opportunities for projects exist, especially at the intersection of Science and Art and in the general field of complexity applied to community issues. A bootstrap project conducted in term D'09 identified three main areas on which to concentrate future projects: Water Conservation, Renewable Energy and Urban Planning.
Given the inter-ethnic history of this part of the US, we have established research collaborations with local Native American institutions on the above topics as well as on other important environmental, cultural and societal issues. In particular, WPI has submitted grant proposals to NASA in collaboration with the Indian American Institute of Arts (IAIA) and the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS).
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses |
Amount |
NOTE: In calculating the extra expense to participate in an off-campus project experience compare this figure to expenses incurred while living on campus (groceries or meal plan, entertainment expenses, transportation, etc.) |
|
Travel to Site (RT airfare) |
$ 350 |
|
|
Local transportation (commuting cost to project sponsor location) |
$ 100 |
|
|
Groceries |
$ 400 |
|
|
Dining out (7 x term) |
$ 400 |
|
|
Weekend tourist activities & incidentals |
$ 400 |
|
|
Estimated total out-of-pocket expenses |
$ 1,650 |
|
Expenses included on your WPI bill |
Amount |
|
|
Housing and program expenses |
$ 1,600 |
|
Estimated Total expenses |
$ 3,250 |
Tuition and on-campus housing not included |
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Last modified: August 13, 2009 10:32:59