REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Conservation Science at Zoo Miami

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This REU Site award to Zoo Miami, in partnership with Florida International University, located in Miami, FL, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2020- 2022. The REU Site, focused on conservation science, includes projects in field conservation (population biology, habitat ecology, invasive species biology, and global change ecology) and management of captive populations (wildlife disease biology, wildlife nutrition, animal psychology, animal behavior, reproductive physiology). Students will conduct closely mentored but independent research projects under the guidance of Zoo scientists and university-based researchers. Students will gain valuable skills in experimental design and data collection, written and oral communication, data management and data analysis, and reading and interpreting scientific literature. Students will gain exposure to STEM-related careers both within and outside of academia. In addition, students will learn STEM education in informal settings.It is anticipated that a total of 30 students will be trained in the program over the 3 year period of the grant. This program focuses on advancing diversity and participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. At least 50% of students will come from groups underrepresented in STEM, and at least 70% of students will come from colleges and universities with limited research opportunities, including community colleges. Students will engage in every part of the research process and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. A common web-based assessment tool (used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure) will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Students are expected to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting https://www.zoomiami.org/reu_program, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Steven Whitfield at steven.whitfield@miamidade.gov) or the co-PI (Dr. Elizabeth Anderson at epanders@fiu.edu).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.