Research Experiences for Undergraduates: Natural History of Hispaniolan Lizard Communities

该奖项为自然科学部提供资金 在阿维拉学院建立一个REU网站，将提供10 具有热带研究经验的本科生。 参与者将通过与 教师，因为他们的工作项目处理爬虫类 伊斯帕尼奥拉岛上的社区 为了促进学生的发展，一个3- 阶段计划：方向，介绍学生 西印度群岛的研究方法和生态研究; 学徒，发展技能;和个人研究， 从而产生出版质量的报告。 研究研讨会 和研究生课程，以方便申请 获得的知识和技能，以参与者的未来学术 追求 科学家们将在两个领域发表演讲。 美国和多米尼加共和国。 评价将由 参与者，他们的学术顾问，和两个外部教师。 该计划旨在诱导参与者积极参与 考虑研究生学习，并增加他们的可能性 选择科学职业 教师将“指导”学生， 通过解释规则灌输研究的愿景， 传递一种“游戏”的兴奋感。 关注蜥蜴群落提供了申请的机会 生态学研究的理论和方法 有着丰富的、可接近的、非常好的 明显地适应了环境。 调查可能 解决生态位方面的问题，寄生虫感染，或 外来物种的竞争性排斥。 学生可以选择 这些主题中的项目或开发其 自己的，包括但不限于，生理或行为 对外来或特有分类群的研究。

This award provides funds to the Department of Natural Sciences at Avila College to establish an REU site which will provide 10 undergraduates with research experiences in tropical studies. Participants will learn and develop skills by interacting with faculty as they work on projects dealing with herpetological communities on Hispaniola. To foster student development, a 3- phase program is planned: orientation, introducing students to research methodology and ecological studies in the West Indies; apprenticeship, to develop skills; and individual research, resulting in publication-quality reports. Seminars on research and graduate studies are included to facilitate applications of acquired knowledge and skills to participants' future academic pursuits. Presentations will be made by scientists in both the United States and Dominican Republic. Evaluation will be by participants, their academic advisors, and two outside faculty. This program is designed to induce participants to favorably consider graduate studies and increase the likelihood of them choosing careers in science. The faculty will "coach" students, instilling a vision of research by explaining the rules and delivering a feeling of the "game's" excitement. A focus on lizard communities provides opportunities to apply theories and methods used in ecological research while working with organisms that are abundant, accessible, and remarkably well and visibly adapted to their environment. Investigations may address aspects of niche dimensions, parasite infections, or competitive exclusion by alien species. Students may choose projects within these topics or develop investigations of their own, including, but not limited to, physiological or ethological studies of alien or endemic taxa.