REU Site: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse REU in Mathematical Ecology

随着对自然界的理解和认识的加深，研究人员看到他们遇到的新的生态问题变得越来越复杂。由于这种复杂性，数学和统计方法在生物和生态系统的研究中变得越来越重要。该奖项支持威斯康星大学拉克罗斯分校(UWL)为期三年的本科生研究经验(REU)项目，旨在1)培训数学生态学各个子学科的本科生，2)激励本科生，特别是在母校进行研究的人数不足和/或第一代大学生，进入STEM领域的研究生院学习，以及3)培养参与者在跨学科、协作的环境中取得成功。UWL网站将在2016年、2017年和2018年夏季期间每年接待8名学生，为期10周。该奖项由数学和物理科学局(MPS)的数学科学部(DMS)和生物科学局(BIO)的生物基础设施部(DBI)支持。该REU网站的研究将通过解决数学领域的研究问题，如常微分方程和随机微分方程、决策论、博弈论、反问题理论、图论、概率论和分支过程，为数学和理论生态学的整体知识体系做出贡献。以及在密西西比河上游蜗牛和水禽宿主中的寄生虫繁殖以及风能对鸟类和蝙蝠种群生存能力的影响等主题研究中出现的生态问题。

As understanding and awareness of the natural world grows, researchers are seeing increased complexity in the new ecological problems they encounter. Because of this complexity, mathematical and statistical methods are becoming increasingly important in the study of biological and ecological systems. This award supports a three-year Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) aimed at 1) training undergraduate students in various sub-disciplines of mathematical ecology, 2) motivating undergraduate students, especially underrepresented and/or first-generation college students with limited access to research at their home institution, to attend graduate school in a STEM area, and 3) preparing participants to be successful in an interdisciplinary, collaborative setting. The UWL site will host eight students per year for 10 weeks during the summers of 2016, 2017, and 2018. The award is supported by the Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO).The research at this REU Site will contribute to the overall body of knowledge in mathematical and theoretical ecology by tackling research questions in mathematical areas such as ordinary and stochastic differential equations, decision theory, game theory, the theory of inverse problems, graph theory, probability theory and branching processes, as well as ecological questions that arise from the study of topics such as the parasite propagation in snail and waterfowl hosts in the Upper Mississippi River and the effects of wind energy on the population viability of bird and bat populations.