Research Experiences for Undergraduates: Natural History of a West Indian Herpetofauna

本科生研究经历：西印度两栖爬行动物的自然史

• 批准号: 9732257
• 负责人: Robert Powell
• 金额: $ 14.64万
• 依托单位: Avila University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-05-01 至 2003-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9732257&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Research; Experiences; Undergraduates; Natural; History

Avila College proposes a series of exciting summer programs annually providing nine undergraduates with research experiences in tropical studies. Participants will learn and develop skills by interacting with faculty as they work on projects dealing with herpetological communities on Hispaniola. To foster student development, a 3-phase program is planned: orientation -- introducing students to research methodology and ecological studies in the West Indies; apprenticeship- developing skills; and individual research -- resulting in publication-quality reports. Seminars on research and graduate studies are included to facilitate applications of acquired knowledge and skills to participants' future academic pursuits. Presentations will be made by scientists in both the United States and Dominican Republic. Evaluation will be by participants, their academic advisors, and one outside faculty member not involved directly with the program. This program is designed to induce participants to favorably consider graduate studies and to increase the likelihood of their choosing careers in science. The faculty will "coach" students, instilling a vision of research by explaining the rules and delivering a feeling of the excitement that comes with addressing hypothesis-driven questions with conceptual orientations. A focus on frog and lizard communities provides opportunities to apply theories and methods widely used in ecological research while working with organisms that are abundant, accessible, and remarkably well and visibly adapted to their environment. Investigations will address aspects of niche dimensions and/or conservation issues. Students may choose projects within these topics or develop investigations of their own, including, but not limited to, physiological or ethological studies of selected taxa.

阿维拉学院每年提供一系列令人兴奋的暑期课程，为九名本科生提供热带研究的研究经验。参与者将通过与教师的互动学习和发展技能，因为他们在伊斯帕尼奥拉岛处理爬行动物群落的项目上工作。为了促进学生的发展，项目计划分为三个阶段：第一阶段——向学生介绍西印度群岛的研究方法和生态研究；学徒-发展技能；个人研究——产生出版质量的报告。课程设有研究及研究生课程讲座，协助学员将所学知识及技能应用于日后的学术追求。美国和多米尼加共和国的科学家将作报告。评估将由参与者、他们的学术顾问和一名不直接参与该项目的外部教员进行。该计划旨在诱导参与者积极考虑研究生学习，并增加他们选择科学职业的可能性。教师将“指导”学生，通过解释规则，灌输研究的愿景，并传达一种兴奋的感觉，这种感觉来自于用概念导向解决假设驱动的问题。对青蛙和蜥蜴群落的关注提供了应用生态学研究中广泛使用的理论和方法的机会，同时研究丰富、可接近、非常好且明显地适应环境的生物。调查将涉及生态位层面和/或保护问题。学生可以在这些主题中选择项目或开展自己的调查，包括但不限于选定分类群的生理或行为学研究。