REU Site in Ecology, Environmental Science and Conservation Biology in Ghana

摘要詹姆斯·麦迪逊大学REU项目的目标是通过在撒哈拉以南非洲热带地区进行生态学、环境科学和保护生物学的研究，扩大参与者的教育经验。每组参与者将由七名本科生和一名高中教师组成。来自美国大学的参与者将在夏季前往加纳海岸角大学（University of Cape Coast），在加纳科学家的指导下进行为期八周的研究项目。他们将获得民族植物学、热带生物学、生态学、昆虫学和分类学的技能。他们将提高批判性思维和解决问题的能力，同时更好地了解加纳文化。该计划有两个主要重点：1)潜在有用植物的生物勘探和2)生态和环境研究。这些精心挑选的项目将侧重于筛选具有潜在经济重要性的植物和在海岸角地区（如卡库姆国家森林）进行生态研究。参与者将与导师合作设计实验，收集和分析实验数据，并在加纳项目结束时以及返回美国后在地区和国家会议上展示实验结果。研讨会和讲习班将由加纳教授主持，为参与者提供学习学科以外知识的机会。他们将被鼓励在同行评议的期刊上发表研究结果。除了支付前往主办地点的旅费和食宿费用外，参与者还将获得津贴。更多信息请访问http://csm.jmu.edu/wubah/UCC/。

ABSTRACTThe goal of James Madison University's REU program is to expand the educational experience of participants through research in ecology, environmental science, and conservation biology in tropical sub-Sahara Africa. Each cohort of participants will comprise of seven undergraduate students and a high school teacher. Participants from U.S. universities will travel to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana during the summer to work on defined research projects under the mentorship of Ghanaian scientists for eight weeks. They will acquire skills in ethnobotany, tropical biology, ecology, entomology and taxonomy. They will improve their skills in critical thinking and problem solving while gaining a better understanding of the Ghanaian culture. This program has two main thrusts: i) bioprospecting for potentially useful plants and ii) ecological and environmental studies. The carefully selected projects will focus on screening plants for their potential economic importance and for ecological studies in the Cape Coast area (such as the Kakum National Forest). Participants will design experiments in collaboration with their mentors, collect and analyze their data, and present their results at the end of the program in Ghana and at regional and national meetings upon their return to the U.S. Seminars and workshops will be led by Ghanaian professors to provide participants opportunities to learn beyond their disciplines. They will be encouraged to publish their results in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to covering cost of travel to the host site, room and board, participants will also receive a stipend. More information is available at http://csm.jmu.edu/wubah/UCC/.