UMEB: Mentoring Undergraduate Research in Conservation Biology and Ecology

新奥尔良大学的帕梅拉·奥尼尔博士获得了一笔赠款，用于开发一个本科生研究项目，旨在增加代表性不足的群体对环境生物学的参与。 拟议方案有几个具体目标。 首先，我们希望让来自UNO代表性不足群体的学生接触广泛的环境生物学方法，以便他们意识到可用机会的多样性。 第二，我们将提供一个榜样的多样性，学生将接触到的设置是不那么正式的比学生在课堂上的经验。 第三，我们将提供持续两年或两年以上的逐步发展经验，以建立信心。 环境生物学本科生导师（UMEB）奖将使我们能够实现所有3个目标，并提供环境生物学独特的研究培训体验。学生体验将包括第一年的介绍性研讨会，旨在让学生接触到广泛的可能的研究经验，榜样，和做科学的方法以及研究工具课程，旨在提供任何研究经验所需的基本工具箱。 该计划的学生的第二年将成为直接参与一个独立的研究项目，也将参加每周小组会议与UMEB顾问，研究生和本科研究人员。完成研究年后，UMEB参与者将以口头和书面形式展示他们的成果。 该计划的可选第三年将允许希望继续在同一领域或不同领域进行研究的特殊学生能够继续高级水平。我们的最终目标是通过为学生进入研究生院做准备，增加来自代表性不足群体的学生在环境生物学领域的职业生涯。我们UMEB计划的研究主题以保护生物学为中心。 UNO的生物系有一个博士学位。在保护生物学和教师谁是在这方面或密切相关的领域进行研究的浓度计划。 我们的导师的研究专长包括保护遗传学，保护生态学，种群生物学，生态系统生态学，生理生态学和环境生物学的分子方法。 拟议中的UMEB计划预计将对培训代表性不足的少数民族产生更广泛的影响，并在高质量的研究中发挥智力优势。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Pamela O'Neil at the University of New Orleans to develop an undergraduate research program designed to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in environmental biology. There are several specific goals of the proposed program. First, we would like to expose students from underrepresented groups at UNO to a broad range of approaches to environmental biology so that they are aware of the diversity of opportunities that are available. Second, we will provide a diversity of role models that the students will be exposed to in settings that are less formal than students experience in a classroom. Third, we will provide a stepwise developmental experience lasting two or more years that is structured to build confidence. The Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) award will allow us to meet all 3 goals and to provide a unique research training experience in environmental biology.The student experience will include a first year introductory seminar designed to expose students to a broad range of possible research experiences, role models, and approaches to doing science as well as a Research Tools course designed to provide a basic toolbox necessary for any research experience. The second year of the program students will become directly involved in an independent research project and will also participate in weekly group meetings with UMEB advisors, graduate students and undergraduate researchers. After completing the research year, UMEB participants will present their results in both oral and written format. An optional third year of the program will allow exceptional students who wish to continue to do research in the same area or a different area to be able to continue at an advanced level. Our ultimate goal is to increase the number of students from under-represented groups pursuing careers in environmental biology by preparing students for graduate school.The research theme of our UMEB program is centered on conservation biology. The Biology Department at UNO has a Ph.D. program in conservation biology and a concentration of faculty who are conducting research in this or closely related areas. The research expertise of our mentors includes conservation genetics, conservation ecology, population biology, ecosystem ecology, physiological ecology, and molecular approaches to environmental biology. The proposed UMEB program is expected to have clear broader impacts of training under-represented minorities as well as intellectual merit in the high quality research that will result.