Welcome to the Web Page for the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at the University of Florida!
Click here to view a short video from Bette Loiselle, January 2021, talking about the TCD Program.
The Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program’s mission is to bridge theory and practice to advance biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, and human well-being in the tropics and elsewhere. TCD is a research and training program of the Center for Latin American Studies with 12 core faculty and approximately 100 faculty affiliates across campus. TCD offers a graduate interdisciplinary certificate, which is designed to complement the knowledge and skill sets that students develop in their home units, “adding value” to their graduate education. In particular, TCD emphasizes student learning outside their immediate discipline and the ability to think in terms of linked social-ecological systems, work in teams, communicate in nonacademic formats, and reflect critically on students’ own perspectives and actions.
Participating graduate students and faculty have their academic homes in more than 25 academic units at UF, including 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. TCD also has close ties to the Center for African Studies and the Master’s in Sustainable Development Practice program.
TCD program garners significant extramural funding to support its initiatives. In 2000, TCD secured a $4 million endowment from the Ford Foundation and the state of Florida. Currently, TCD also receives major funding from the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and has had or currently has grants from World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society-Equatorial Guinea, CIFOR-Indonesia, US AID, among others.
TCD funds support regular competitions for graduate assistantships, research grants, working groups, conference travel, innovation grants, and student practitioner experiences. TCD also contributes funds to invite scholars and practitioners, including TCD alumni, to UF to share their experiences and research. TCD creates spaces for the community to come together in formal and informal activities to support collective learning about the cutting-edge thinking and practical issues of conservation and development. These activities include gatherings and retreats, a weekly student-led seminar series, forums and workshops, and other on- and off-campus activities and events. An interdisciplinary student organization and an alumni network provide valuable opportunities for critical discussion, collaboration, and sharing of practical experience.
You can get involved in the TCD community by subscribing to the TCD listserv or participating in TCD events. We are open to all faculty, students, and staff, and we value your input and participation. You do not need to be enrolled in the graduate certificate to participate in TCD activities, but we do encourage you to learn more about how TCD’s program can better prepare you to address current and future conservation and development challenges. If you are a new student, see the How to Apply page of how to sign up for a TCD Certificate. We invite you to navigate through the TCD Program’s website and contact us for more information or questions!