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

鉴于环境问题带来的诸多挑战，以及对该领域训练有素的科学家和管理人员的迫切需求，受资助者将通过新墨西哥州立大学（NMSU）和霍华德大学（HU）的合作，启动一个以生态/环境为主题的REU站点计划。他们的目标是在为期八周的夏季期间，为一群多元文化的学生提供生态学/环境生物学方面的严格研究经验，然后对华盛顿特区进行为期10天的访问，在那里他们将接触到环境机构正在做的工作。在新密西根州立大学，3或4名学生组成的小组将在一个原创研究项目中合作收集数据；每个学生将负责在一个小型研讨会上分析和展示一个独特的数据子集。在与小组导师的会议中，学生将讨论相关文献、遇到的问题、新的假设和实验设计，以便其他人在未来几年进行测试。在新密歇根州立大学期间，一系列了解西南环境问题的游客将与整个小组进行非正式交谈。讨论将包括少数群体特别感兴趣的许多主题，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，整个访问团将访问清华大学，在那里将举行关于环境政策、司法和相关问题的正式讲座。代表团还将参观政府和非政府机构，在那里会见关心环境问题的代表。这一经历不仅将使学生们更加了解如何利用生态研究来制定政策，而且将为他们提供环境生物学方面的知识和就业机会。

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.