REU: Ecological Research in the Southwestern US and its Relevance to the Environmental Policy

在认识到环境问题带来的许多挑战，以及对训练有素的科学家和管理人员在这一领域的迫切需要，受赠方将通过新墨西哥州州立大学（NMSU）和霍华德大学（HU）之间的合作努力，启动一个以生态/环境为主题的REU网站计划。 他们的目标是在为期八周的夏季期间为学生提供一个多元文化的群体，在生态学/环境生物学方面获得严格的研究经验，然后对华盛顿进行为期10天的访问，在那里他们将接触到环境机构正在做的工作。 在NMSU，3或4名学生的小组将在原始研究项目的数据收集合作;每个学生将负责分析和提出一个小型研讨会上的数据的独特子集。 在与他们的小组导师会议期间，学生将讨论相关文献，遇到的问题，以及新的假设和实验设计，供其他人在未来几年进行测试。 在NMSU，一系列了解西南地区环境问题的游客将与整个团队进行非正式交谈。 讨论将包括少数群体特别感兴趣的许多议题，包括环境正义以及文化观念如何影响对环境问题的解释和适当政策的执行。 接下来，整个小组将访问HU，在那里将举行关于环境政策，司法和相关问题的正式讲座。 该小组还将访问政府和非政府机构，在那里他们将会见关注环境问题的代表。 这种经验不仅会使学生更了解如何生态研究是用来作出决策，但将为他们提供环境生物学的就业机会的知识。

In recognition of the many challenges that environmental problems pose, and the dire need for trained scientists and management personnel in this field, the grantee will initiate an REU Site program with an ecology /environment theme via a collaborative effort between New Mexico State University (NMSU) and Howard University (HU). Their goal is to provide a multi-cultural group of students with a rigorous research experience in ecology/environmental biology during an eight-week summer period, followed by a 10 day visit to Washington, DC where they will be exposed to work being done by environmental agencies. At NMSU, groups of 3 or 4 students will collaborate in data collection on an original research project; each student will be responsible for analyzing and presenting a unique subset of the data at a mini-symposium. During meetings with their group mentor(s) students will discuss relevant literature, problems encountered, and new hypotheses and experimental designs for others to test in future years. While at NMSU, a series of visitors knowledgeable in environmental problems specific to the southwest will speak informally with the entire group. Discussions will encompass many topics of particular interest to minority groups including environmental justice and how cultural perceptions affect interpretation of environmental problems and implementation of appropriate policies. Next the entire group will visit HU where formal lectures on environmental policy, justice and related issues will be presented. The group will also tour governmental and non-governmental agencies where they will meet representatives concerned with environmental problems. This experience will not only make the students more aware of how ecological research is used to make policy decisions but will provide them with knowledge od job opportunities in environmental biology.