UBM:Interdisciplinary Training of Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences with Emphasis on Fisheries Stock Assessment

本项目为培养杰克逊州立大学生物学和数学专业的本科生建立了一个跨学科的项目。该项目面向对数学应用于生物学感兴趣的数学和生物学专业的学生。选择学生参加旨在加强生物学专业数学知识和技能的课程，提高数学专业学生运用定量技能解决生物学问题的能力。他们还将在JSU参加为期五周的夏季渔业资源评估强化课程，然后在NOAA/NMFS实验室进行六到八周的实习，在那里他们将在渔业科学项目上进行合作。最后，学生将在JSU至少两年的学年期间在生物系和数学系的教师团队的指导下参与合作研究工作。这种对学生的跨学科培训将侧重于种群生物学，特别是鱼类种群评估。然而，学生也将有机会在生物学的其他领域进行研究，并通过课程获得必要的知识，进入其他领域的定量方面，如基因组科学，流行病学和生理学。渔业生物学领域与数学科学有着内在的联系。事实上，渔业生物学实际上是将数学和数学建模应用于水生种群的生物学和结构的实践。拟议的项目将扩大JSU过去三年开发和运行的渔业资源评估计划，并将其作为一个模型，向具有数学和/或生物学背景的学生介绍数学模型在渔业科学中的应用。目前，美国的渔业资源评估专家严重短缺。因此，非常需要招聘和培训鱼类种群动态/种群评估方面的学生，以满足NOAA/NMFS、国家机构、大学、咨询公司和国际援助机构在这一领域的人员需求，以便更有效地管理我们的渔业资源。智力优势：该项目将整合生物科学和数学科学的教师和学生之间的教学和研究。它侧重于种群生物学，特别是渔业生物学在这两个科学分支之间的内在联系。事实证明，我们的项目在招收渔业科学领域的学生方面是成功的。以前的五名参与者目前正在攻读渔业科学数量方面的研究生课程。该课程使学生了解世界对海洋生物资源的需求和依赖，并为他们提供必要的背景和技术来评估水生种群的生命率，并开展渔业资源评估方法。更广泛的影响：来自JSU的8名本科生将参加生物学和数学的综合课堂和研究型课程。他们还将参加JSU在夏季开设的渔业资源评估课程，并在NOAA/NMFS实验室开展种群生物学研究项目。在美国，除了缺少渔业资源评估专家之外，少数族裔在这一领域的代表性也严重不足。学生在本课程中获得的经验将有助于他们为研究生课程和种群生物学特别是渔业生物学的职业生涯做好准备，并有助于回应对更合格的渔业资源评估人员的需求。在大学层面，生物学和数学的跨学科项目将加强生物学和数学系之间的合作。它还将导致在生物系内集中发展定量生物学，并有助于激发许多数学专业学生对生物数学领域的兴趣。该项目的研究结果将通过会议和JSU网站发布。

This project establishes an interdisciplinary program for training undergraduates in biology and mathematics at Jackson State University (JSU). The project will target mathematics and biology students who are interested in the application of mathematics to biology. Students will be selected to take courses designed to strengthen the mathematical knowledge and skills of biology majors, and increase the ability of mathematics majors to use their quantitative skills to solve biological problems. They will also participate in a five-week summer intensive course in fisheries stock assessment at JSU, followed by a six-to-eight week internship at a NOAA/NMFS laboratory where they will collaborate on fisheries science projects. Finally, students will take part in collaborative research work at JSU during the academic year for a minimum of two years under the supervision of faculty teams from biology and mathematics departments. This interdisciplinary training of students will focus on population biology, particularly fish stock assessment. However, students will also have opportunities to conduct research in other areas of biology, and through coursework will acquire knowledge necessary for entry into quantitative aspects of other fields such as genomic science, epidemiology and physiology. The field of fisheries biology is inherently tied to the mathematical sciences. In fact, fisheries biology is literally the practice of applying mathematics and mathematical modeling to the biology and structure of aquatic populations. The proposed project will expand the Fisheries Stock Assessment program developed and run at JSU for the past three years, and use it as a model for introducing students with backgrounds in mathematics and/or biology to the application of mathematical models in fisheries science. There is currently a critical shortage of fisheries stock assessment specialists in the United States. Hence, there is a great need to recruit and train students in fish population dynamics/stock assessment to meet the staff needs of the NOAA/NMFS, state agencies, universities, consulting firms and international aid agencies, in this area, in order to more effectively manage our fisheries resources. Intellectual Merit: This program will integrate teaching and research amongst faculty and students from the biological and mathematical sciences. It focuses on population biology, particularly fishery biology's inherent connection between these two branches of science. Our program has proven successful in recruiting students into the field of fisheries science. Five previous participants are currently pursuing graduate studies in quantitative aspects of fisheries science. This program provides students with an understanding of the world's demand for, and dependence on living marine resources and provides them the necessary background and techniques to assess vital rates in aquatic populations and conduct fisheries stock assessment methods.Broader Impacts: Eight undergraduates from JSU will participate in an integrated classroom and research-based curriculum in biology and mathematics. They will also take part in the JSU's fisheries stock assessment course offered during the summer as well as carry out research projects in population biology at NOAA/NMFS Laboratories. In addition to the shortage of fisheries stock assessment specialists in the U.S., there is an enormous under-representation of minorities in this field. The experience students gain in this program will help prepare them for graduate programs and careers in population biology in general and fisheries biology in particular, and help answer the call for more qualified fisheries stock assessment personnel. At the university level, the interdisciplinary program in biology and mathematics will enhance collaborations between biology and mathematics departments. It will also result in the development of a concentration in quantitative biology within the department of Biology, and help stimulate interests of many mathematics majors in the area of biomathematics. The findings of the project will be disseminated via conferences and on the JSU website.