TCD
About the TCD Program
The mission of the Tropical Conservation and Development
(TCD) Program is to advance biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource
management, and the welfare of rural people in the tropics through interdisciplinary
graduate education, research, and collaborative learning and practice. TCD's
three main goals are:
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To train conservation and development professionals, especially those from Latin America and Caribbean countries, to create and implement innovative policies, institutions and strategies that balance conservation with sustainable livelihood improvement.
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To promote interdisciplinary research that integrates biological conservation and sustainable rural development in the tropics.
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To strengthen and expand a learning network with organizations in Latin America and elsewhere that have compatible goals and approaches to interdisciplinary training and research.
TCD was established at the University of Florida (UF)
in 1988 to train students for careers in conservation and development. TCD
graduates have been placed as researchers and field practitioners in universities
and in governmental and non-governmental organizations in the U.S., Latin
America, and elsewhere.
TCD is not a degree-granting program. Instead, it offers an interdisciplinary
certificate
and concentration program to students enrolled in Master's or Ph.D.
programs at UF. Upon completion of the certificate or concentration, students
have a knowledge base that includes an understanding of tropical ecology,
social science theory, and integrative approaches to conservation and development;
complementing a strong disciplinary base gained in the home department.
Graduate fellowships, field research grants, field-based training programs,
practitioner experiences, and extracurricular events enhance student education.
The TCD Program draws on the participation of 7 core faculty and approximately
80 distinguished faculty affiliates housed in 21 academic departments across
campus. In addition to providing strong disciplinary expertise, TCD's affiliate
faculty collaborate on a wide range of interdisciplinary themes such as
community-based conservation, gender and natural resource management, environmental
law, population and environment, land use and land cover change, and the
ecological bases of wildlife conservation. Research takes place in countries
throughout Latin America and other tropical areas.
TCD is located in the Center
for Latin American Studiesand is linked to the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College
of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the College
of Health and Human Performance, and the College
of Design Construction and Planning, through its affiliate departments.
TCD receives significant extramural funding to support
its initiatives. In 2000, the program secured an endowment from the Ford
Foundation and the state of Florida. The endowment supports the annual fellowship
and research grant competitions, as well as other TCD activities. Currently,
TCD also receives funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,
the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
Contact Information
Tropical Conservation and Development Program
Center for Latin American Studies
University of Florida 319 Grinter Hall
PO Box 115531
Gainesville, FL 32611-5531
E-mail: tcd@tcd.ufl.edu
Tel: (352) 392-6548
Fax: (352) 392-0085