URM: Howard University Environmental Biology Scholars

霍华德大学被授予通过NSF本科生研究和指导(URM)计划支持20名环境生物学学者的奖项。该计划将从2011年春季开始，一直持续到2015年冬季，为四个学者群体(每个群体五名学生)提供为期两年的环境生物学和生态学研究经验。霍华德大学环境生物学学者计划(HU-EBS)旨在鼓励少数族裔本科生设计和实施具有创造性、智力挑战和高科学价值的研究项目，重点关注环境压力和进化适应。我们的主要目标是招收少数族裔学生，并为他们在环境生物学和植物科学方面的职业做好准备。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。学者的选择将基于他们的兴趣、职业目标、对生产性研究的热情和能力，取决于个人面试、学术表现和推荐信。学生将在两个学年和暑假期间与霍华德大学的教师导师一起进行研究。学生将准备出版研究手稿，并在以少数族裔学生为中心的会议(Beta Kappa chi、HBCU-UP、SACNAS)以及美国生态学会和美国植物学会等国家科学会议上展示他们的研究成果。我们将通过每月三种类型的小组会议建立一个支持性社区：研究论坛、环境生物学研讨会系列和种子学生领导力论坛。对项目成功的评估将包括年度前和后评估，以确定我们的项目如何发展和维持学员在生物学方面的知识、技能、兴趣和职业选择。环境生物学学者计划创建了一个学习和同行支持的社区，改变了HU学生的观点，并产生了对环境生物学职业机会的新认识。欲了解更多信息，请联系玛丽·麦肯纳，电子邮件：MMKENA@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.