REU Site: RUI: Creating Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities for Phosphorus Sustainability (CROPS)

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This project brings together a dynamic and creative group of faculty from the University of Wisconsin-Stout to create an 8-week interdisciplinary REU site targeting first generation and underrepresented minority students. Students and faculty engage in a holistic apprentice-style training model with the overall theme of studying phosphorus pollution in a highly impacted Wisconsin watershed. The team studies inclusive decision-making, social networks among farmers, responsive policy implementation, economic impacts, land-use effects on phosphorus run-off, remediation strategies, and sediment geochronology. Data are integrated into a comprehensive strategy for economically sustainable phosphorus use. Students and faculty participate in professional development programming, interdisciplinary data sharing, and original research activities designed to empower and prepare students for sciencecareers. Ultimately, this investment in human capital will help produce a workforce trained in interdisciplinary and collaborative thinking necessary to solve 21st century problems.Intellectual Merit :This work offers significant intellectual contributions by improving student learning and development in response to research experiences, creating innovative approaches to manage the training and professional development of students and faculty in interdisciplinary research, and understanding the complex processes contributing to phosphorus pollution while developingsustainable solutions. These efforts dovetail nicely with an ongoing NSF-funded project at UW-Stout to study classroom-based research. The research results are broadly disseminated via student presentations, peer-reviewed literature, local media outlets, and policy stakeholders.Broader Impacts :The proposed project is ecpected to result in lasting impacts for students, faculty, and community alike. The PI-team's efforts at synthesizing different research projects centered on the same substantive problems have improved their effectiveness in collaborative problem solving and in teaching undergraduates an interdisciplinary approach to research. The team expects an increase the retention and success of underrepresented groups and their pursuit of advanced science degrees. By sharing results with civic leadersand government regulators, their new knowledge will impact public policy, the local economy, and regional water quality. This should have a significant impact on developing a more competitive workforce in the social and natural sciences in the US, increasing participation of underrepresented minority groups and women in the sciences, improving undergraduate education in the socialand natural sciences. Most importantly, this project whould have a positive impact on public scientific literacy.