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

认识到环境问题带来的诸多挑战，以及该领域对训练有素的科学家和管理人员的迫切需求，受赠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现场项目。他们的目标是在为期八周的暑期期间，为一群不同文化的学生提供严格的生态学/环境生物学研究体验，然后前往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进行的工作。在NMSU，由3到4名学生组成的小组将合作收集原始研究项目的数据；每个学生将负责分析并在小型研讨会上展示数据的一个独特子集。在与他们的小组导师(S)的会议中，学生们将讨论相关文献，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验证。在国家密歇根州立大学期间，一系列了解西南部环境问题的游客将与整个小组进行非正式交谈。讨论将涉及少数群体特别感兴趣的许多专题，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，整个小组将访问胡，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，会见关注环境问题的代表。这一经历不仅将使学生更多地了解如何利用生态学研究来做出决策，而且将为他们提供环境生物学方面的就业机会知识。

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.