UBM-Institutional: Integrated Undergraduate Research Experiences in Biological and Mathematical Sciences

生物学和数学交叉领域的综合本科研究经验项目旨在促进以本科研究为重点的生物学和数学跨学科教育的更广泛的机会，并加强跨学科生物学和数学教育的文化和学术基础。为了实现这些目标，1)通过一个为期两年的浸入式研究项目支持四组八名本科生，包括积极指导和协作学习，在定量生态学、环境健康和淡水生物地球化学等关键生物数学研究领域开展原创性研究项目；2)开发新的课程组成部分，以促进灵活的本科生物数学培训，包括跨学科的定量生物学证书课程和数学专业内的研究型生物数学专业。选定的研究主题，强调水生生态学，是动态的和有话题性的，并且与参与文理学院和新成立的淡水科学学院的教师的核心兴趣和专业知识密切匹配。学生们通过数学建模课程序列和平行研究研讨会开始他们的研究沉浸，在这些研讨会中，他们研究越来越开放的生物学研究问题，并学习相关的实验室技术。在第二年，在数学和生物学教师的联合指导下，研究小组调查关键研究主题中的研究问题。课程计划与研究沉浸密切相关，以激励学生参与典型课堂内外的跨学科学习机会。此外，它还为参与的学生提供反映这些跨学科技能的适当资格，并将在新兴生物数学课程的背景下得到认可。课程方案还有助于确定、激励和培训未来的专业人员，这些专业人员的技能与恢复和维持大湖地区健康的国家利益高度相关。威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校的研究项目是建立在威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校（UWM）生物学-数学本科研究项目的试点基础上的，并作为威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校跨学科教育中扩展和鼓励本科研究的典范。该计划还加强了生物科学系、数学科学系和淡水科学学院之间的教学和研究合作，并支持该机构作为一个整体的长期计划。研究成果正在以科学界以及非科学家和公共政策决策者都可以访问的格式发表。

The Integrated Undergraduate Research Experience at the Interface of Biology and Mathematics program aims to promote broader access to cross-disciplinary education in biology and mathematics with an emphasis on undergraduate research, and to strengthen the culture and academic foundation of interdisciplinary biology-mathematics education. To meet these goals it is 1) supporting four cohorts of eight undergraduate students through a two-year research immersion program involving active mentoring and collaborative learning on original research projects in the key biology-mathematics research areas of quantitative ecology, environmental health and freshwater biogeochemistry; and 2) developing new curricular components to facilitate flexible undergraduate biology-mathematics training, including both an interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Quantitative Biology, and a research-oriented biomathematics specialization within the Mathematics major. The selected research themes, which emphasize aquatic ecology, are dynamic and of topical interest, and closely match the core interests and expertise of participating faculty within the College of Letters and Science and the newly established School of Freshwater Sciences. Students begin their research immersion with a mathematical modeling course sequence, and a parallel research seminar in which they study increasingly open-ended biological research questions, and learn relevant laboratory techniques. In their second year, cohorts investigate research questions within the key research themes, under the joint mentoring of mathematics and biology faculty. The curricular program is strongly connected to the research immersion, in order to motivate student participation in interdisciplinary learning opportunities both inside and outside of the typical classroom. Further, it is providing participating students with appropriate qualifications that reflect these interdisciplinary skills, and which will be recognized in the context of emerging biomathematics programs. The curricular program also is serving to identify, motivate and train future professionals with a skill set that is highly relevant to national interests in restoring and maintaining the health of the Great Lakes region. The UBM research program is building on a pilot biology-mathematics undergraduate research program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), and serving as a model to extend and encourage undergraduate research within interdisciplinary education at UWM. The program is also strengthening teaching and research collaborations among the Departments of Biological Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and the School of Freshwater Sciences, as well as supporting the long term plans of the institution as a whole. Research outcomes are being published in formats accessible by the scientific community as well as by non-scientists and public-policy decision makers.