SEEDS - Promoting Diversity in Ecology

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(Public Law 111-5).The goal of the Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) program of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) is to build undergraduate minority student interest in pursuing ecology studies within a nurturing and intellectually stimulating environment. SEEDS is specifically designed to serve under-represented students in ecology, including African Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders. Funding is requested to support 15 SEEDS students with travel awards to ESA annual meetings from 2009 through 2012. This supports the larger ESA objective to foster a diverse scientific community within the ecology profession, engendering new research perspectives and enhancing the relevance of ecology to all of society. A wide range of activities will be offered to students over seven days at these meetings, including a student orientation, welcome and meetings with ESA members who have been selected as mentors, field trips, a career workshop, SEEDS campus chapter meetings, special events including a diversity luncheon and mixer, activities sponsored by the ESA student section, as well as the regular scientific sessions. These events help integrate new SEEDS students into the ecology community. Students are provided a workbook which allows them to note ideas from sessions and collect information from meeting participants who may be potential employers and graduate studies advisors. Mentoring at the meetings is critical and students will be matched ESA members based on mutual research interests and a willingness to commit to communicating with students throughout the year. The professional mentor will discuss appropriate interests and career goals and respond to questions about ecology and the profession, as well as help students select the most relevant scientific sessions to attend while at the meetings. This project addresses two key factors in increasing diversity in the ecological sciences: mentoring and exposure to ecology as a viable course of study and career opportunity. When set upon a foundation of peer support provided by the SEEDS network, it increases the likelihood of underrepresented students continuing to pursue ecology. From 2002-2007, 80% of SEEDS students have either gone on to graduate school, are employed in an ecology related field or continue to study ecology. This new support will increase the participation of and encourage leadership by under-represented students in the ecological sciences. As these students enter the scientific workforce, they will be able to serve as positive role models for younger students, filling the critical gap of minority mentors who are vital in fostering the interest of minority students in ecology. ESA has the ability to track the program over time, helping provide insights for others seeking to better understand how to work with underrepresented students more effectively.