Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) provides UMD students of all backgrounds, disciplines, and levels of experience with the opportunity to engage in scaffolded, multidisciplinary team-based projects.
VIP Team Information
VIP Team
Integrated Media for Policy, Agriculture, Climate & Technology
VIP Faculty Mentors:
Dr. Rebecca Epanchin-Niell
Italia Peretti
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Meeting Location, Day & Time:
Weekly Meeting: Symmons Hall (SYM) 2200D, Wednesdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm, Lab open until 6pm.
Research Space: Lab will be made open for use by students during the week.
Description:
The IMPACT Lab is a hands-on team where you turn climate, agriculture, and environmental research into content people actually care about.
You will work with leading-edge research, local entrepreneurs and businesses, and impactful policy work. These are active projects happening now, not class exercises. The goal is to create content that will actually be used and seen.
This is a fast-paced environment. You will be making, testing, and putting work out into the world. That can look like short-form video, interviews, social campaigns, and content tied directly to real decisions and real issues.
A lot of important work gets stuck in dense reports, policy briefs, and data. You get to work with the researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and leaders who create this important work and support them in translating their work for a wider audience. By the end, you will have a portfolio of real, public-facing work that demonstrates you can take complex ideas and connect them to a broad target audience to drive impact.
Methods:
Content production and storytelling (short-form video, interviews, digital media)
Translating research, policy, and data into public-facing communication
Campaign and messaging strategy for real-world audiences
Social media systems, distribution, and performance testing
Data analysis and visualization for storytelling and decision-making
Digital media production workflows (camera, mobile, editing, publishing)
Collaborative project development with faculty, researchers, and external partners
Majors:
This Team is open to any student, regardless of major. This VIP is particularly relevant to students from the following majors:
All majors within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR)
Economics
Communication
Journalism
Cinema and Media Studies
Acting / Theatre
Marketing / Business
Graphic Design / Studio Art
Computer Science / Information Science
Public Policy
Government and Politics
Preferred Interests:
This lab is a strong fit for students who care about the environment, sustainability, and making a real impact on climate change. You might love animals, care about people and communities, and feel motivated to do something that matters.
You are likely someone who spends time on social media and is interested in how content works. You enjoy being creative, whether that is making videos, editing, designing, writing, or being on camera. You like the idea of turning ideas into something people actually see and engage with.
There are no strict prerequisites. Students from any major are encouraged to apply. Helpful experience may include video, writing, design, or social media, but it is not required. Students should be open to feedback, comfortable working with others, and willing to contribute consistently to team projects. We are especially interested in students who want to build a portfolio of work that reflects real projects, data-backed campaigns, and content that made a measurable difference.
We prefer students who are interested in staying involved for 3 or more semesters. Students should expect to spend additional time outside of the weekly meeting (about 2 to 4 hours per week) and occasionally participate in scheduled shoots or events.