McGill Desautels Costa Rica study trip applies data analytics to sustainability projects

McGill students are working with Costa Rican non-governmental organizations to safeguard howler monkeys from road hazards. Through their research, they’ve created a "Mono-SOS" website for accident reporting in partnership with a local NGO, SalveMonos. This is one example of the partnerships led by Associate Professor Juan Camilo Serpa as part of the new Costa Rica study trip, a three-credit course offered at the Desautels Faculty of Management that provides hands-on experience in applying data analytics to sustainability projects. The course invites students of diverse backgrounds such as finance, marketing, accounting, computer science, biology, and environmental science to take part in community-changing projects including microplastics tracking and developing animal recognition systems for preservation.