Taught By:
Maria Alejandra Perez (available as a coach in January, 2026)
Associate Professor of Geography
West Virginia University
maria.perez@mail.wvu.edu
Read profile here.
Course Description:
Achieving a more sustainable future requires understanding complex problems and implementing creative solutions which require research and collaboration with people who have complementary skills. This course focuses on a variety of research methods to investigate the cultural and spatial dimensions of sustainable development problems, many of which are right here, in our very community. As we explore the power of these research tools, you will develop a social action campaign on a topic of your choosing that puts into practice what you learn. In other words, in this class, research is driven by a clear goal to bring about change and for you to experience what it means exercise your power to bring about that change. As such, by the end of the class you will have experienced gaining and using knowledge directed at making our community a better place for you and those who come after you. Research skills and goals will align to advance a transformative goal. No previous research or social action experience are necessary for you to do great in this class.
Although our course is being offered at WVU, it is part of a larger national initiative on social action across US university campuses that have already been offered and are being offered this term. This is super exciting because not only will you be learning actionable skills; you will be joining a growing national network of peers. Each week will have a substantial action component for engagement. Participation in the action components for the class—for example, issue identification, application of change theory, building power, research and investigation, group dynamics, strategy and tactic selection, and campaign launch—will account for about half of your time and effort for the course. The objective of integrating practical and experiential components in the course is to learn by doing in addition to understanding the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of social action.
