REU: Stable Isotopic Applications to Great Plains Ecology Paleoecology and Archeology

该奖项将为奥古斯塔纳学院本科生研究经验网站提供持续支持。该项目将支持本科生参与一个重点研究项目，该项目整合了8名研究人员的研究活动，其中5名来自奥古斯塔纳学院，1名来自圣奥拉夫学院，1名来自大自然保护协会，1名来自黑山州立大学。由于对草原生态学和古生态学有共同的兴趣，并且每个项目的各个方面都受益于将C和N的稳定同位素应用于研究方法，因此这些项目在科学水平上进行了整合。该项目将为在生态资源丰富的地理区域进行古生态重建提供一个连贯的小组和独特的方法。十名学生将以共同的焦点研究现场和实验室问题。他们将被期望获得一些理论基础的掌握，为他们的研究，以及实验设计和最终解释。每周的研讨会和讲习班将审查每个项目的理论基础和研究设计；提高学生的图书馆、实验室和数据处理研究技能；并扩大他们对相关项目的了解。在为期十周的暑期项目之后，将有一个学年的REU研讨会，每个学生将在研讨会上展示解释的结果和结论，并帮助为正在进行的项目发展假设和研究设计。

This award will provide continuing support for a Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site at Augustana College. This project will support undergraduate participation in a focused research program which integrates the research activities of eight investigators, five from Augustana College, one from St. Olaf College, one from The Nature Conservancy and one from Black Hills State. The projects are integrated at the scientific level because of the common interests in prairie ecology and paleoecology and because aspects of each project benefit from the applications of the stable isotopes of C and N to the research methodology. This project will provide a coherent group and a unique methodology to approach paleoecological reconstructions in a geographic area of rich ecological resources. Ten students will study field and laboratory problems with a common focus. They will be expected to gain some mastery of the theoretical basis for their study as well as the experimental design and ultimate interpretation. Weekly seminars and workshops will review each project's theoretical basis and research design; enhance the student's library, laboratory and data handling research skills; and broaden their understanding of the related projects. The ten-week summer program will be followed by an academic year REU Symposium in which each student will present the interpreted results and conclusions and help develop the hypotheses and research designs for the on-going projects.