University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso will develop accessible remote learning resources to support online learning programs for its faculty and students. In partnership with the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, the university will leverage both digital and non-digital assets in response to the ongoing shift to online education arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. A collections manager will lead efforts to digitize approximately 1,000 specimens from the university's biodiversity collections and create a working group of faculty members to develop educational modules. The modules will be focused on the natural history of the Chihuahuan Desert, using resources from digitization activities, as well as resources of the museum. Stipends will allow two students to participate in the development of a module related to the framework for a history of natural history collecting in El Paso.