Expanding Career Opportunities in Wildlife and Environmental Biology

在过去的十年里，巴肯石油的繁荣对北达科他州西部的经济和景观产生了重大影响，导致野生动物保护主义者和环境科学家越来越需要研究能源工业与环境的相互作用。为了满足这一需求，玛丽大学的野生动物和环境生物学扩展职业机会（ECOWEB）项目将招募和招收12名有经济需求的学术才华的学生，参加UM生物学项目的野生动物保护或环境科学课程。ECOWEB项目每年将颁发8000美元至10000美元不等的奖学金，并加强学生支持结构和与工作、研究和研究生院机会的联系，以确保学生获得学士学位，并成功过渡到STEM就业或研究生院。ECOWEB项目将在以下方面产生广泛而重大的影响：1)通过为S-STEM学者提供研究生院访问和合作研究机会，加强澳大与其他机构之间的合作；2)通过建立实习机会和研讨会活动，加强生物系与区域生物相关行业和机构的合作关系；3)增加生物学学生研究机会的数量和质量，以及参加和出席专业会议的机会；4)增加传统上在STEM中代表性不足的人群的生物学毕业生数量；5)在澳大社区、其他高等教育机构和STEM专业人士中战略性地传播评估结果，以提高对学生招聘和支持结构的认识和实践，从而提高毕业和职业准备的保留率。西非经共体项目将实现满足当地需要的三个目标。目标1：为澳大生物学项目的野生动物保护或环境科学方向寻找并招收12名学术上有天赋的学生。招聘计划包括数字和印刷营销、本地和区域高中招聘，以及鼓励来自传统上在STEM中代表性不足的群体的学生的开放日活动。目标2：加强学生支持结构，确保野生动物保护和环境科学专业的学生在四年内获得学士学位。该项目将采用策略和支持结构，提高学生毕业时的保留率，使学生在四年内完成学位，并为毕业生成功过渡到野生动物保护和环境科学工作或研究生课程做好准备。澳大生物系教职员工和学生支持管理人员将共同开发、实施和评估一系列新的和增强的支持服务，包括：a)强调S-STEM身份和社区学习的S-STEM队列模型，b)针对S-STEM的第一年体验课程，c)教师和同伴指导，d)每月与野生动物保护和环境科学领域的行业专家和研究人员进行系列研讨会，e)与生物学相关的服务学习项目，f)夏季研究和实习机会，g)学生参与国家和地区专业会议。目标3：使S-STEM学者能够在毕业一年内获得目标领域的就业或进入生物学研究生课程。ECOWEB项目将通过提供关键的支持服务和活动，包括职业咨询、GRE准备、系列研讨会、实习机会和研究生项目的实地考察，为STEM劳动力或研究生院的学者做好准备。评估这些不同活动的效力将有助于扩大关于这类奖学金项目成功的情况的知识库。

Over the past decade, the Bakken oil boom has had a significant impact on the western North Dakota economy and landscape, resulting in an increased need for wildlife conservationists and environmental scientists to study the energy industry's interactions with the environment. To address this need, The University of Mary's Expanding Career Opportunities in Wildlife and Environmental Biology (ECOWEB) project will recruit and enroll 12 academically talented students with financial need in the UM biology program's wildlife conservation or environmental science track. The ECOWEB project will award scholarships ranging from $8,000 to $10,000 per year and enhance student support structures and connections to work-based, research, and graduate school opportunities, so as to ensure students obtain a bachelor's degree and successfully transition to STEM employment or graduate school. The ECOWEB Project will have broad and significant impacts in the following ways: 1) enhancing collaborations between UM and other institutions by providing graduate school visits and collaborative research opportunities for S-STEM scholars; 2) enhancing the Biology Department's partnerships with regional biology-related industries and agencies by establishing internship opportunities and seminar events; 3) increasing the number and quality of research opportunities for biology students as well as opportunities to participate and present at professional conferences; 4) increasing the number of biology graduates from populations traditionally underrepresented in STEM; and 5) strategically disseminating evaluation findings within the UM community and to other postsecondary institutions and STEM professionals to advance knowledge and practice about student recruitment and support structures that increase retention to graduation and career preparation.The ECOWEB project will accomplish three objectives that address local needs. Objective 1: Identify and recruit a diverse population of 12 academically talented students with financial need for the UM biology program's wildlife conservation or environmental science track. The recruitment plan includes digital and print marketing, local and regional high school recruitment, and Open House events that encourage students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM. Objective 2: Enhance student support structures to ensure wildlife conservation and environmental science students obtain a bachelor's degree within four years. The project will employ strategies and support structures that increase student retention to graduation, enable students to complete their degree in four years, and prepare graduates for successful transition into the wildlife conservation and environmental science workforce or graduate programs. UM Biology Department faculty and student support administrators will collaboratively develop, implement, and assess an array of new and enhanced support services, including: a) an S-STEM cohort model that emphasizes an S-STEM identity and community learning, b) an S-STEM-specific First Year Experience course, c) faculty and peer mentorships, d) a monthly seminar series with industry experts and researchers working in wildlife conservation and environmental science fields, e) biology-related service-learning projects, f) summer research and internship opportunities, and g) student participation in national and regional professional conferences. Objective 3: Enable S-STEM scholars to secure employment in target fields or enter a biology graduate program within one year of graduation. The ECOWEB project will prepare scholars for the STEM workforce or graduate school by providing key support services and activities, including career counseling, GRE preparation, a seminar series, internship opportunities, and field trips to graduate programs. Assessment of the efficacy of these different activities will help contribute to expanding the knowledge base regarding the circumstances under which scholarship projects of this type are successful.