1. Graduate education is multi-institutional with course work conducted at UI and CATIE, and dual institution graduate committee membership.

2. Student teams address similar research questions in temperate and tropical ecosystems and conduct a research internship with their teammates in the country that is not their primary field site.

3. Students work in interdisciplinary teams and produce dissertation sets that include some co-authored chapters.

4. Students complete an interdisciplinary graduate curriculum including biophysical and social sciences.

5. Students participate in professional development activities including joint annual research symposia and interdisciplinary training workshops.

1. Broad-based interdisciplinary education

2. International perspective

3. Broad geographic and ecological exposure through internships and research projects in both tropical and temperate areas

4. Opportunity to work in interdisciplinary research teams

5. Experience in integrating interdisciplinary knowledge

6. Active involvement in collaborative projects

7. Opportunities for enhancing their communication skills

8. Cross-cultural experience