UBM:Interdisciplinary Training of Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences with Emphasis on Fisheries Stock Assessment

该项目在杰克逊州立大学（JSU）建立了一个跨学科的生物学和数学本科生培训计划。 该项目将针对数学和生物学的学生谁有兴趣在数学的应用生物学。 学生将被选中参加旨在加强生物学专业的数学知识和技能的课程，并增加数学专业的学生使用他们的定量技能解决生物问题的能力。 他们还将在JSU参加为期五周的渔业资源评估夏季强化课程，然后在NOAA/NMFS实验室进行为期六至八周的实习，在那里他们将合作开展渔业科学项目。 最后，学生将在学年期间参加JSU的合作研究工作，在生物学和数学系教师团队的监督下至少两年。这种跨学科的学生培训将侧重于人口生物学，特别是鱼类种群评估。然而，学生也将有机会在生物学的其他领域进行研究，并通过课程将获得必要的知识进入其他领域的定量方面，如基因组科学，流行病学和生理学。 渔业生物学领域与数学科学有着内在的联系。 事实上，渔业生物学实际上是将数学和数学建模应用于水生种群的生物学和结构的实践。 拟议的项目将扩大在过去三年中在JSU开发和运行的渔业资源评估计划，并将其用作向具有数学和/或生物学背景的学生介绍数学模型在渔业科学中的应用的模型。 美国目前严重缺乏渔业资源评估专家。 因此，非常需要在鱼类种群动态/种群评估方面招募和培训学生，以满足NOAA/NMFS，国家机构，大学，咨询公司和国际援助机构在这一领域的工作人员需求，以便更有效地管理我们的渔业资源。 智力优势：该计划将整合来自生物和数学科学的教师和学生之间的教学和研究。 它侧重于种群生物学，特别是渔业生物学这两个科学分支之间的内在联系。 我们的计划已被证明在招募学生进入渔业科学领域的成功。 前五名学员目前正在进行渔业科学定量方面的研究生学习。 该计划使学生了解世界对海洋生物资源的需求和依赖，并为他们提供必要的背景和技术，以评估水生种群的生命率和进行渔业资源评估方法。更广泛的影响：来自JSU的八名本科生将参加生物和数学的综合课堂和研究课程。 他们还将参加JSU在夏季提供的渔业资源评估课程，并在NOAA/NMFS实验室开展种群生物学研究项目。 除了美国缺乏渔业资源评估专家外，少数群体在这一领域的代表性严重不足。 学生在该计划中获得的经验将有助于他们为研究生课程和种群生物学，特别是渔业生物学的职业做好准备，并帮助回答更多合格的渔业资源评估人员的需求。 在大学一级，生物学和数学的跨学科课程将加强生物学和数学系之间的合作。 它还将导致生物学系内定量生物学的集中发展，并有助于激发许多数学专业学生对生物数学领域的兴趣。 该项目的调查结果将通过会议和JSU网站传播。

This project establishes an interdisciplinary program for training undergraduates in biology and mathematics at Jackson State University (JSU). The project will target mathematics and biology students who are interested in the application of mathematics to biology. Students will be selected to take courses designed to strengthen the mathematical knowledge and skills of biology majors, and increase the ability of mathematics majors to use their quantitative skills to solve biological problems. They will also participate in a five-week summer intensive course in fisheries stock assessment at JSU, followed by a six-to-eight week internship at a NOAA/NMFS laboratory where they will collaborate on fisheries science projects. Finally, students will take part in collaborative research work at JSU during the academic year for a minimum of two years under the supervision of faculty teams from biology and mathematics departments. This interdisciplinary training of students will focus on population biology, particularly fish stock assessment. However, students will also have opportunities to conduct research in other areas of biology, and through coursework will acquire knowledge necessary for entry into quantitative aspects of other fields such as genomic science, epidemiology and physiology. The field of fisheries biology is inherently tied to the mathematical sciences. In fact, fisheries biology is literally the practice of applying mathematics and mathematical modeling to the biology and structure of aquatic populations. The proposed project will expand the Fisheries Stock Assessment program developed and run at JSU for the past three years, and use it as a model for introducing students with backgrounds in mathematics and/or biology to the application of mathematical models in fisheries science. There is currently a critical shortage of fisheries stock assessment specialists in the United States. Hence, there is a great need to recruit and train students in fish population dynamics/stock assessment to meet the staff needs of the NOAA/NMFS, state agencies, universities, consulting firms and international aid agencies, in this area, in order to more effectively manage our fisheries resources. Intellectual Merit: This program will integrate teaching and research amongst faculty and students from the biological and mathematical sciences. It focuses on population biology, particularly fishery biology's inherent connection between these two branches of science. Our program has proven successful in recruiting students into the field of fisheries science. Five previous participants are currently pursuing graduate studies in quantitative aspects of fisheries science. This program provides students with an understanding of the world's demand for, and dependence on living marine resources and provides them the necessary background and techniques to assess vital rates in aquatic populations and conduct fisheries stock assessment methods.Broader Impacts: Eight undergraduates from JSU will participate in an integrated classroom and research-based curriculum in biology and mathematics. They will also take part in the JSU's fisheries stock assessment course offered during the summer as well as carry out research projects in population biology at NOAA/NMFS Laboratories. In addition to the shortage of fisheries stock assessment specialists in the U.S., there is an enormous under-representation of minorities in this field. The experience students gain in this program will help prepare them for graduate programs and careers in population biology in general and fisheries biology in particular, and help answer the call for more qualified fisheries stock assessment personnel. At the university level, the interdisciplinary program in biology and mathematics will enhance collaborations between biology and mathematics departments. It will also result in the development of a concentration in quantitative biology within the department of Biology, and help stimulate interests of many mathematics majors in the area of biomathematics. The findings of the project will be disseminated via conferences and on the JSU website.