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A Piece of A&M
In The Rainforest of Costa Rica
A Piece of A&M
In The Rainforest of Costa Rica
Texas A&M has continued its efforts to
expand internationally with the completion
of the Soltis Research and Education Center
in Costa Rica. The facility is designed to
provide students with an international
experience while protecting the unique
ecological environment of the region. It was
conceived by Charles W. Soltis, Class of
'55, who approached the University with the
idea in 2005.
The Soltis family donated 40 acres of
rainforest land to build the center, along
with 250 acres adjoining the building near
the town of San Isidro, Costa Rica. The
center will provide students with
opportunities for study abroad, internships
and community service activities in various
fields of study including environmental
conservation, education, architecture,
engineering and natural sciences.
"Texas A&M University was very hands-on with
the Center from the beginning," said Maria
Claudia Alves, director for the Office of
Latin American Programs. "We coordinated the
different aspects of the project, starting
from how the building will look to the
research collaborations with various Costa
Rican universities."
The Soltis Research and Education Center
facilities were designed to be modern while
staying true to the Center's eco-friendly
mission.
"The Center includes state-of-the-art
classrooms and laboratories, and provides
bungalows to accommodate up to 60 people,"
Alves said. "The vision for the Soltis
Center was to be ecologically stable while
providing up to date education and
equipment."
An eco-friendly cafeteria, for example, uses
modern techniques to air-condition the room
without using machinery that could cause
damage to the surrounding natural
environment.
The Center will provide programs benefitting
the residents of the San Isidro area,
including teaching English to local
residents and water management.
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