REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Tropical Conservation Science

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An award was made to the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) to provide research training for 10 students for eleven weeks in the summer, beginning 2011 through 2014. At least two students will continue their research during the academic year. The program is a partnership between UH Hilo and researchers from government agencies conducting research on the Island of Hawaii (e.g., USGS-Biological Resources Division, US Forest Service). The Island of Hawaii, with its diversity and high representation of almost all ecological niches found in the archipelago, presents an excellent living laboratory in which to train future researchers. The goal of this REU program is to provide an exciting and challenging summer research experience for undergraduate students in the interdisciplinary field of conservation biology and prepare them for future careers in science. To increase the diversity of students entering this field, this program targets those students with limited research experience, first generation college students, and under-represented minorities. The summer program will begin with a one-week orientation that will introduce the students to the university, research design and analysis, and report writing and presentation. The remaining weeks will consist of students working side by side with researchers on their projects. In addition, one day a week will involve lectures and field trips focused on different topics in conservation biology, and sessions on the responsible conduct of research, statistics, report writing and presentation, and graduate school and career presentations. Students will complete a written research paper and make an oral presentation at the undergraduate research symposium. The program will use an online assessment tool for evaluating the success of the program. More information is available at http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/uhintern/, or by contacting Rebecca Ostertag (ostertag@hawaii.edu) or Sharon Ziegler-Chong (ziegler@hawaii.edu).