REU Site: Summer Program in Chihuahuan Desert Biodiversity

该REU网站奖授予位于德克萨斯州埃尔帕索的德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校，将在2020-2022年夏季支持8名学生的10周培训。这项研究将在新墨西哥州和德克萨斯州的校园和奇瓦瓦沙漠地区进行。预计共有24名学生将接受该项目的培训，这些学生主要来自研究机会有限的学校或代表性不足的群体。目标学生为大二或大三学生；优秀的新生将被考虑。学生将通过假设驱动的合作研究项目来产生知识，最终为环境可持续性和人类福祉提供信息。学生将在UTEP校园范围内的夏季研究研讨会上展示他们的研究成果，并鼓励他们在科学会议上展示他们的研究成果。该计划的评估将通过在线SALG URSSA工具使用BIO REU共同调查完成。课程结束后，将对学生进行跟踪，以确定学生的职业道路。奇瓦瓦沙漠生物多样性（CDB） REU项目强调与UTEP生物科学教师的利益相关的CDB进化和生态学研究，他们将担任导师。项目涵盖了沙漠草原生态学、动物追踪和行为、分子系统学和群体遗传学等主题。学生需要进行全职的实地和实验室研究，并参加研讨会和讲习班，例如在研究中负责任的行为，专业的沟通技巧等。REU学生将有机会使用设备齐全的导师实验室和跨部门研究设施。田野地点包括印第奥山脉研究站，Jornada盆地，Hueco Tanks州立公园以及其他几个奇瓦瓦沙漠自然土地。学生的选择基于学习成绩，研究兴趣和潜力，以及教师推荐。有关该计划的更多信息，请访问http://science.utep.edu/cdb-reu，或联系PI （Michael Moody博士mlmoody@utep.edu）或联合PI （Jerry Johnson博士jjohnson@utep.edu）。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

This REU Site award to the University of Texas at El Paso, located in El Paso, TX, will support the training of 8 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2020-2022. The research will be conducted on campus and at Chihuahuan Desert field sites in New Mexico and Texas. It is anticipated that a total of 24 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. Targeted students will be current sophomores or juniors; exceptional freshmen will be considered. Students will be guided through hypothesis driven collaborative research projects to generate knowledge that may ultimately inform actions for environmental sustainability and human well-being. Students will present their research at a UTEP campus-wide summer research symposium and will be encouraged to present their research results at scientific conferences. Assessment of the program will be done using the BIO REU common survey through the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine student career paths. The Chihuahuan Desert Biodiversity (CDB) REU program emphasizes studies on CDB evolution and ecology linked to the interests of UTEP Biological Sciences faculty, who will serve as mentors. Projects span topics such as desert grassland ecology, animal tracking and behavior, molecular systematics and population genetics. Students are expected to perform full-time field and lab research and participate in seminars and workshops, such as responsible conduct in research, professional communication skills, among others. REU students will have access to well-equipped labs of mentors and interdepartmental research facilities. Fields sites include the Indio Mountains Research Station, Jornada Basin, Hueco Tanks State Park among several other Chihuahuan Desert natural lands. Students are selected based on academic record, research interest and potential, and faculty recommendations. More information about the program is available by visiting http://science.utep.edu/cdb-reu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Michael Moody at mlmoody@utep.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Jerry Johnson at jjohnson@utep.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.