UMEB: Undergraduate Training in Ecological and Evolutionary Analyses of Micro and Macrobiotic Systems

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The UMEB program at Idaho State University (ISU) is entitled "Undergraduate Training in Ecological and Evolutionary Analyses of Micro and Macrobiotic Systems" and will mentor six undergraduate students each year in projects designed to address the relationship between ecosystem health and environmental complexity in the Intermountain West. Environmental health has been deteriorating rapidly in many rural communities of the Intermountain West, adversely impacting the sustainable economic and social well being of these communities. The ISU UMEB will respond to this complex set of problems by focusing research efforts on several key environmental issues, including agricultural runoff treatment by constructed wetland technology, soil and groundwater contamination and remediation, and detection and tracking of environmental pathogens. Undergraduate students in the UMEB will participate in data collection, gain hands-on experience with molecular techniques, interpret experimental results, and serve as informational links between the scientific and lay communities. Three existing research projects will be focal points for mentoring students in environmental biology: 1) Portneuf River Watershed Assessment Project, 2) Fairview Constructed Treatment Wetland System, and 3) Biogeography and Land Use Pattern Impacts On Snake River Plain Populations. Each project has demonstrable relevance to the Intermountain West, multiple investigators in various disciplines are involved in each project, and all three efforts will provide increased opportunities for one-on-one mentoring of students and for students to be exposed to a variety of scientific approaches.The ultimate objective is to increase enthusiasm and appreciation for environmental research by providing stimulating research experiences for promising undergraduate students. Students will have significant experience in conducting research, a solid grounding in appropriate techniques, and communication skills that enable them to convey the results of their research to other scientists and to the general public. Contact Joseph Cook (cookjose@isu.edu) or Richard Inouye (inourich@isu.edu) for further information.