Name: Dr. Richard M. Gersberg

Faculty/Rank: Professor

Department: Graduate School of Public Health

College: College of Health and Human Services

Office phone: 4-2905

Other phone

E mail address: rgersber@mail.sdsu.edu

Proposal title Venice Lagoon-San Diego Bay Cooperative Program: Opportunities for Graduate Students in International Research and Field Placement
Country visited: Italy

Institution visited: University of Venice, Venice, Italy, and the Interuniversity National Consortium for Environmental Chemicals (INCA), Marghera, Italy.

Dates of travel : March 29, 2005- April 4, 2005

Number of student participants: 2 Graduate Students- Hilary Brooks and Michael Rose in GSPH already have completed one-month exchanges, two more are scheduled to do international internships in Venice this coming summer, 2005.

Previous IP proposals submitted and grants awarded
(list titles, countries and dates): “International Exchange Experience at the Fachhochschule Magdeburg, Germany”, May 26, 2000-June 11, 2000.
“International Research and Education Project at the University of Applied Sciences in Magdeburg, Germany”,May 31, 2001- June 10, 2001
“International Research and Student Internship Projects at the University of Applied Sciences in Magdeburg, June 6, 2002- June 17, 2002.
“International Research and Student Internship Projects in Environmental Sciences at the University of Applied Sciences in Magdeburg, Germany.
Dates of travel: May 30, 2003- June 9, 2003.
”International Research and Graduate Student Exchange Opportunities at the Venice Lagoon, Venice, Italy”, March 14- March 20, 2004.

Have all required reports been submitted? Yes

Other funding for this activity available/applied for: No

Proposal Abstract (75 word maximum):

On March 2, 2004, a meeting was convened by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Jan Anderson and the Assistant Vice-President for International Programs Al Sweedler, to explore mechanisms for enhancement of international opportunities in research for graduate students at SDSU. One program that has been very successful with graduate student exchange and continues to offer a variety of opportunities for international graduate research is the the San Diego Bay-Venice Lagoon Cooperative Project now being hosted by the new SDSU Coastal Waters Lab. Specific objectives of this proposed travel is to work with scientists at Univ. of Venice to 1) expand a hydrodynamic model (already developed for the Venice Lagoon) to San Diego Bay to enhance graduate research opportunities 2) identify and transfer GIS database for the Venice Lagoon watershed to SDSU for student research 3) continue collaboration on our valuable work on PCR detection of viruses in the Venice Lagoon to allow a human health risk assessment.

Travel report:

I. Opening/overview of intentions/activity

It is a particularly exciting time for coastal zone sciences at San Diego State University (SDSU) since recently both San Diego State University (SDSU) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have entered into a cooperative agreement in order to establish and operate a Coastal Waters Laboratory on San Diego Bay (at the site of the former Naval Training Center). This Coastal Waters Laboratory now scheduled for completion by Spring, 2006, will serve as a center for research, education, conservation and public policy formation for the coastal zone. As the Director of CMI, one of my important goals is the development and institutionalization of international programs in coastal zone/estuarine science at the new SDSU Coastal Waters Lab. Such programs will facilitate international research collaboration, and thereby support international field placement for students in coastal zone sciences at SDSU. One such international program that offers a variety of opportunities for student and faculty exchange is the San Diego Bay-Venice Lagoon Cooperative Project. There is a real need now to expand the existing research cooperation to serve more research topics including GIS, marine ecology, and lagoon and estuary restoration. The objective of this international travel to the University of Venice was to enhance and expand the existing cooperation between SDSU and the Univ. of Venice to the fields of GIS, modeling and water quality science in order to increase the number and breadth of graduate student exchange opportunities there.

Dr. Gersberg’s graduate students- Hilary Brooks and Michael Rose, in the MPH program at SDSU, completed one-month international internships at University of Venice in June 2003 and 2004, respectively. In May, 2005, as a follow-on to my international exchange trip, another GSPH graduate student, Lauren Robinson, will complete an international field practice working on modeling water quality of the Venice Lagoon. Additionally, my graduate student, Michael Rose will return to Venice to work at the University of Venice’s, Interuniversity National Consortium for Environmental Chemicals (INCA) Laboratory, during summer of 2005 in order to finish up work on the manuscript.

II. In preparation for the trip abroad

In summer 2004, I traveled to Venice to meet with faculty researchers at the University of Venice in the Departments of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences , as well as consultants for the Consorzio Venezia Nuova, (one of which, Dr. Al Zirino is an adjunct faculty in the Dept. of Chemistry at SDSU) in order to develop a framework for research collaboration. Several Italian scientists at the University of Venice-Dr. Roberto Pastres and Dr. Pietro Tundo were then identified and contacted via e-mail, and were most interested in hosting SDSU graduate students from SDSU. This trip was a follow-on effort to solidify the research cooperation with Professor Tundo in particular.

The specific objectives of the travel completed was to support activities by Dr. Gersberg at the Venice Lagoon in order to:

1. Meet with Professor Tundo and Dr. Fulvio Zecchini at the University of Venice to pave the way for continued collaboration on our valuable work on PCR detection of viruses in his Laboratorio di Analisi di Microbiologia Ambientale (L.A.M.A.) in Venice, Italy. A research paper on this topic is nearly written and will soon be submitted to a peer-review journal.
2. Meet with scientists at University of Venice to enhance and transfer GIS data for the Venice Lagoon watershed to SDSU. Already, I have a graduate student, Lauren Robinson in our MPH program at SDSU who is planning her thesis work (and travel to the University of Venice in summer 2005) on a GIS model of phosphorus input to the Venice Lagoon.
3. Meet with scientists at University of Venice to expand a hydrodynamic model (already developed for the Venice Lagoon) to San Diego Bay . This two-pronged model for both San Diego and Venice will serve to facilitate and institutionalize a new international cooperative program between the new SDSU Coastal Waters Lab and the University of Venice
4. Meet with Dr. Angelo De Bortoli, Director of EXPERTEAM Inc., a firm in Venice that is commercializing molecular probe technology to detect viruses in Lagoon waters, in order to share expertise, equipment, and know-how about water quality of the Venice Lagoon for mutual benefit.

Upon arrival/specific activity
What/who are the contacts made at the prospective partner university?

Upon arrival, I first met with Dr Fulvio Zecchini of the University of Venice’s Interuniversity National Consortium for Environmental Chemicals (INCA) Laboratory on Thursday, March 31st to tour their new laboratory facilities in Marghera, to review the joint research projects, and to pave the way for my graduate student’s upcoming visit in summer 2005. Additionally, we reviewed his comments on our joint research paper entitled “Real time PCR quantification of virus in the Grand Canal of Venice, Italy”

On Friday, April 1st, I again visited the INCA lab and met with Dr. Zecchini who set up a meeting with the main principals of a molecular biology firm in Venice called EXPERTEAM Inc. which is in the business of developing probes for environmental and clinical uses. The Director of EXPERTEAM Inc. Angelo De Bortoli presented a seminar on their work in molecular probe development for virus detection. They were keenly interested in our research on the restoration of the Venice Lagoon, particularly our expertise with real time PCR quantification of virus. \

Following this meeting, I met with the Professor Pietro Tundo, of the University of Venice, and the Director-General of the University of Venice’s Interuniversity National Consortium for Environmental Chemicals (INCA) Laboratory in Marghera.
Along with Dr. Zecchini, Prof. Tundo indicated a sincere and marked interest in this research collaboration, and in having Dr. Zecchini and his laboratory both host SDSU graduate students, and undertake a new direction in the area of this collaboration on viruses and risk of the Venice Lagoon.

On Saturday, April 2nd I met with Andrea Garzon, a consulting scientist working for the Consorzio de Venezia Nuova (which is the agency tasked with leading the restoration effort in the Venice Lagoon) on hydrodynamic modeling of the Venice Lagoon. It is with this model developed by Dr. Garzon, that my graduate student, Lauren Robinson, will do pollutant modeling work on her international field practice at the Venice Lagoon in summer 2005.

On Saturday evening (April 2nd) , I had an informal dinner business meeting with both Dr. Fulvio Zecchini and Professor Tundo, to solidify our collaborative research relationship and strategize ways to raise funds to support the purchase of a real-time PCR unit for the University of Venice (we already have one at the GSPH). Overall, Dr. Tundo was most encouraged by the exchange. He was optimistic, positive about our collaboration, and offered to find dormitory rooms at the University of Venice for future SDSU students.

Conclusion, recommendation, and next step-
Why is this particular institution valuable for SDSU?

There is an increasing need to train our graduate students of today for the challenges, opportunities and markets of the future. With the increased globalization of research and technology, such an international exchange would facilitate such training. Specifically in the environmental arena, the ecological and habitat similarities that exist between the Lagoon of Venice and San Diego Bay, make a joint research collaboration extremely valuable.

Sustainability of project (is there a high likelihood that students in the department will be interested in studying the proposed subject area at the prospective partner university and vice versa)?

Such international research and field practice as I am developing, allow students to apply their knowledge and qualifications in a cross-cultural work setting, as well as learn teamwork and co-operation in an international framework. As a direct result of this exchange visit supported by this program, I will soon have had four of my graduate students in Environmental Health complete international field practice/internships at the University of Venice. I have also built an international research collaboration between the University of Venice and SDSU’s new Coastal Waters Lab.

How will this exchange program (or expansion) increase participation by students in international activities, or enhance international learning environments for students?

This exchange program has already greatly accelerated and expanded the international cooperation between the two Universities into the environmental arena, By developing student access to projects in Italy that provide field placement experiences, such an exchange will help realize the great potential for mutual collaboration in lagoon/estuarine science between these two Universities.

What students will benefit?

There are over 40 full and part-time graduate students in the environmental health M.S and MPH programs at SDSU. All of these students do have to take field practice (PH 650) and advanced field practice (PH 750). In addition, it will facilitate SDSU students from other Departments such as the Ecology Program in the Department of Biology in participating in field research and internships/field placement experiences at the Venice Lagoon. This project will potentially result in international field practice experiences at University of Venice for up to 4 students per year.

What will be their activities (e.g. course work, international internships, field research, etc.)?
Activities under this exchange program are aimed at both specific international research projects on the Venice Lagoon, as well as international field practice/internships for SDSU students with preceptors from the University of Venice. In summer 2005 two of my graduate students,, Michael Rose and Lauren Robinson, will travel to the University of Venice to do international field practice there.

What will be your role in promoting and supporting these activities?

The visit covered by this Faculty Report has greatly accelerated such environmental cooperation, by developing collaborative research projects with professors at the University of Venice, and increasing SDSU student access to projects on the Venice Lagoon that provide field placement experiences. Such an exchange will help realize the great potential for mutual collaboration in marine/estuarine sciences between these two Universities.
All information should be sent to The Office of International Programs via e mail:

oip@mail.sdsu.edu