Improving an Undergraduate Program in Ecology

该奖项为德雷塞尔大学生物科学与生物技术系提供资金，用于购买设备，以帮助改善现有的本科生态学课程，增加生态学专业的女性和少数民族人数，并改善未来教师的科学教育。来自生物科学和生物技术系的一组教师使用研究船、实地车辆（面包车）和现代仪器，教授本科生如何在费城地区进行水生和陆地生态系统的现代科学研究。这包括正式的课程作业和独立的学生研究项目，包括水生生态学、生物物理生态学和动物行为学。此外，该项目还力求通过在本科和高中两级的协调努力，增加少数民族和妇女参与生态学的人数。当地社区团体和官员参与了将获得大学全额学费奖学金的本科生的选拔，并参与了参加周六上午科学课程的学生的选拔。未来的教师还将通过与德雷塞尔大学的教师准备项目协调，参与本科生态学项目。该奖项的主要设备包括一艘研究船、一辆野外车辆、一套水质数据系统、一套便携式光合作用仪和用于野外实验的微气候学仪器；用于生态学和动物行为学实验的可控气候室、遥测数据记录系统和视频系统；以及生态学中用于数据分析和数学建模的微型计算机。受助人将与非联邦来源的奖励相匹配。

This award provides funds to the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology at Drexel University to purchase equipment which will help to improve an existing undergraduate ecology program, to increase the number of women and minorities in ecology, and to improve the science education of prospective teachers. Using a research boat, field vehicle (van), and modern instruments a group of faculty from the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology teach undergraduates how to conduct modern scientific research on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the Philadelphia area. This involves formal course work and independent student research projects in aquatic ecology, biophysical ecology, and animal behavior. In addition, this project also seeks to increase the number of minorities and women in ecology by a coordinated effort at the undergraduate and high school levels. Local community groups and officials are involved in the selection of undergraduate scholars that will receive full tuition scholarships from the University and in the selection of students to participate in Saturday morning science programs. Prospective teachers will also be involved in the undergraduate ecology program through coordination with the teacher preparation program at Drexel. Major items of equipment in this award include a research boat, field vehicle, a water quality data system, a portable photosynthesis apparatus, and microclimatology instruments for field experiments; a controlled climate chamber, telemetry data logging system, and video system for lab experiments in ecology and animal behavior; and microcomputers for data analysis and mathematical modeling in ecology. The grantee is matching this award with non-Federal sources.