UMEB: Preparing Students for Careers in Environmental Biology--A Massachusetts Partnership

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The goal of the Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst is to recruit and prepare UMEB Scholars to be professionals in the broadly-defined area of Environmental Biology. The program includes (1) a recruitment plan with a focus on underrepresented groups, (2) opportunities for long-term independent research experiences with faculty mentors, (3) workshops in skills needed to succeed as environmental biologists, (4) extensive interactions with professional environmental biologists from a variety of fields, (5) peer mentoring, (6) mentor training and logistical support from the UMass community, and (7) a plan to disseminate the results of the program.Long-term mentoring is known to be effective, so UMEB Scholars will be recruited early in their education and will participate in the program for multiple years. UMEB Scholars will be recruited from two pools: one group will be from three Massachusetts community colleges, and others will be UMass freshmen and sophomores. Community college students will transfer to a Five-College institution to complete their four-year degree.UMEB Scholars will participate in a residential summer program. Each student will have a laboratory "home" and will conduct independent research with a faculty mentor from the Five-College Consortium (UMass, Hampshire, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Amherst). Students will meet with environmental biologists to become familiar with a range of career opportunities. Workshops and field trips will help students prepare for graduate school or the job market. A peer mentor will live with the students to provide additional support. Each year, the summer program will end in a capstone day, when students will present their research in a poster session to which their families will be invited.During the academic year, students in the Amherst area will continue to conduct research and will attend seminars and monthly meetings.The potential for success of this program is enhanced by a supportive network at UMass that will provide extensive mentor training, assessment, and logistical help. The program will be managed by three faculty directors and aided by a recruitment coordinator. This program is well positioned to meet its goals of training a small but well-prepared group of environmental biologists.