Over 100 organizations working on environmental issues exist in the Columbus area. From water quality and invasive species to climate impacts and mosquito-borne disease, groups like Columbus Metroparks, Franklin County Public Health, and The Ohio State University help develop solutions to issues that impact our everyday lives.
One Ohio State researcher recognized that many of these groups have limited resources and may not realize what other groups are working on in the area. Grad student, Harrison Fried (pictured above), realized connecting these groups could help avoid unintentional overlap and encourage more collaboration.
It all started when Fried attended an event for environmental professionals at the beginning of his master's program 2019. There, he heard buzz about the need for a place where organizations addressing climate-related issues could coordinate and work together. As a network researcher, Fried collects data on the relationships between issues and organizations. Fried said he wanted to do more with his research beyond traditional journal publication.
Fried decided he could make a difference with the data he was collecting. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to continue his research and create a solution.
“It's pretty rare in practice for network researchers to give data back to the people who actually might be able to use it in some way,” Fried said. He realized that his research could be the solution for better coordination among environmental groups.
“One of the main reasons why I continued for a PhD was to say, ‘Okay, we have all this data. Now let's turn around and give it back,’” Fried said.
Fried did just that with the help of Kimberly Ordonez, an Ohio State PhD student studying environmental social sciences, and Rohit Basu, a local high school student and programmer. In September, they launched the Columbus Environmental Networking Tool (CENT) – a weblike data visualization called a network map. The program was designed to show connections between environmental organizations in the Columbus area.
climate impacts and mosquito-borne disease, groups like Columbus Metroparks, Franklin County Public Health, and The Ohio State University help develop solutions to issues that impact our everyday lives.
One Ohio State researcher recognized that many of these groups have limited resources and may not realize what other groups are working on in the area. Grad student, Harrison Fried, realized connecting these groups could help avoid unintentional overlap and encourage more collaboration.
It all started when Fried attended an event for environmental professionals at the beginning of his master's program 2019. There, he heard buzz about the need for a place where organizations addressing climate-related issues could coordinate and work together. As a network researcher, Fried collects data on the relationships between issues and organizations. Fried said he wanted to do more with his research beyond traditional journal publication.
Fried decided he could make a difference with the data he was collecting. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to continue his research and create a solution.
“It's pretty rare in practice for network researchers to give data back to the people who actually might be able to use it in some way,” Fried said. He realized that his research could be the solution for better coordination among environmental groups.
“One of the main reasons why I continued for a PhD was to say, ‘Okay, we have all this data. Now let's turn around and give it back,’” Fried said.
Fried did just that with the help of Kimberly Ordonez, an Ohio State PhD student studying environmental social sciences, and Rohit Basu, a local high school student and programmer. In September, they launched the Columbus Environmental Networking Tool (CENT) – a weblike data visualization called a network map. The program was designed to show connections between environmental organizations in the Columbus area.
The online tool covers a wide variety of environmental topics and illustrates the focus of groups across Columbus. CENT also highlights recommended partners for each organization based on “collaborative gaps” created when two groups share a common issue but do not work together.
CENT features a data entry form for organizations to submit and update their information. Organizations can also identify a “coordination delegate” who acts as the point of contact for researchers or other organizations.
The overall goal of the tool is for organizations to see the connections between their issues and other groups and use that information to collaborate. Fried hopes that CENT will not only inspire collaboration but also encourage general awareness among Columbus environmental groups.
“Within pretty much every major area there are hundreds of entities trying to solve very interrelated issues. But the main goal here is to realize that we are part of this web of other, very similar organizations and that by working together and strategically aligning our resources, we can work more efficiently and effectively,” Fried said.
However, to elevate the success of CENT, the environmental groups must participate and update their information on the site. Projects, partnerships, and issues change quickly, so CENT data is only useful when it is up to date. Fried and the CENT team hope environmental professionals are excited to start using the tool and keep the information updated.
“The tool is only as strong as the amount of people who are willing to use it,” said Fried. “It's just exciting to hopefully get the ball rolling on new partnerships between people who could share resources, tap into each other’s networks or learn from each other.”
