URM: Howard University Environmental Biology Scholars

一个奖项已经作出了霍华德大学，以支持通过NSF本科研究和指导（URM）计划的20名环境生物学学者。该计划将提供为期两年的环境生物学和生态学的研究经验，以四组学者（每组五名学生）从2011年春季开始，并持续到2015年冬季。该霍华德大学环境生物学学者计划（HU-EBS）的目的是从事少数民族本科生在设计和实施的研究项目，是创造性的，智力挑战和高科学价值的主题重点是环境压力和进化适应。我们的主要目标是招募和准备少数民族学生在环境生物学和植物科学的职业生涯。教师将让学生参与与人口，社区和生态系统中的环境压力（干旱，重金属，栖息地改变，气候变化）有关的实地研究和实验室研究。学者将根据他们的兴趣，职业目标，热情和生产性研究的能力，通过个人面试，学习成绩和推荐信来选择。学生将在两个学年和夏季与霍华德的教师导师进行研究。学生将准备出版的研究手稿，并在少数民族学生为中心的会议（贝塔卡帕志，HBCU-UP，SACNAS）和国家科学会议，如美国生态学会和美国植物学会介绍他们的研究。我们将通过三种类型的小组会议，每个月建立一个支持性的社区：研究论坛，环境生物学研讨会系列，和种子学生领导论坛。计划成功的评估将包括年度前和后评估，以确定我们的计划如何发展和维持参与者的知识，技能，兴趣和职业选择在生物学。环境生物学学者计划创建了一个学习和同伴支持的社区，正在改变HU学生的观点，并对环境生物学的职业机会产生新的认识。更多信息可通过联系玛丽麦肯纳mmckenna@howard.edu。

An award has been made to Howard University to support twenty Environmental Biology Scholars through the NSF Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program. The program will provide two-year research experiences in environmental biology and ecology to four cohorts of scholars (five students per cohort) starting in spring 2011 and continuing through winter 2015. The Howard University Environmental Biology Scholars Program (HU-EBS) is designed to engage minority undergraduates in designing and implementing research projects that are creative, intellectually challenging and of high scientific merit with a thematic focus on environmental stress and evolutionary adaptation. Our primary goal is to recruit and prepare minority students for careers in environmental biology and plant science. Faculty will engage students in field research and laboratory research related to environmental stress (drought, heavy metals, habitat alteration, climate change) in populations, communities and ecosystems. Scholars will be selected based on their interests, career goals, enthusiasm and ability for productive research as determined by personal interviews, academic performance, and letters of recommendation. Students will conduct research with faculty mentors at Howard during two academic years and summers. Students will prepare research manuscripts for publication and present their research at minority student-centered meetings (Beta Kappa Chi, HBCU-UP, SACNAS) and at national scientific meetings such as the Ecological Society of America and the Botanical Society of America. We will build a supportive community through three types of group meetings each month: Research Forum, Environmental Biology Seminar Series, and the SEEDS Student Leadership Forum. Evaluation of program success will include annual pre- and post assessments to determine how our program develops and sustains participant's knowledge, skills, interest and career choices in biology. The Environmental Biology Scholars program has created a community of learning and peer support that is changing the perspective of HU students and generating a new awareness of career opportunities in environmental biology. More information is available by contacting Mary McKenna mmckenna@howard.edu.