Perreault Magazine - 74 -
In addition to the research being conducted on ecotones and speciation, the Center for Tropical Research develops innovative approaches to bridge the gap between environmental research and decision-making processes. The Center works with the government in Cameroon to disseminate research findings and work collaboratively to develop and implement solutions. Most recently the Center has developed a plan to build an academic institution in Cameroon called the Congo Basin Institute (CBI), where UCLA researchers will collaborate with academic partners to initiate cutting edge research and scale up existing programs within the Congo Basin. The CBI will be dedicated to developing solutions to issues such as climate change, human disease, food and water security, and biodiversity loss. Smith’s and the Center’s long-term commitment to conservation and planetary health is essential to the future of our planet and to humans’ survival. Without dedicated research scientists like those at the Center for Tropical Research, our planet and the human race could be facing a grim future.