REU Site: Cognition and Environmental Decision Making: An REU Site Proposed at the College of Menominee Nation

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This award provides funds for a Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site in Cognition and Environmental Decision-Making at the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) in Keshena, Wisconsin. The site is targeted to Native American Indian undergraduate students at CMN as well as students recruited nationally. Research opportunities will be provided in an environment that is not foreign to the students and organized around research issues (inter-group conflict, cultural differences, resource conservation) that are relevant to the students' background and experience. The overall research framework is concerned with the interactions of knowledge (especially mental models of the environment), values and behaviors associated with environmental decision-making. The program is comprised of an integrative mixture of Northwestern University's Program in Cognitive Studies of the Environment and the College of the Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute, Natural Resources, and Education programs. Research faculty from both campuses will be associated with the summer program. The eight students selected for the site will take classes, conduct independent research, take field trips, and present their research at the end of the ten-week session.This award contributes to the Foundation's continuing efforts to attract talented students into careers in science through active undergraduate research experiences.