REU Site: 3D Herbivory and Biodiversity of Tardigrades in North American Forest Canopies: Inspiring Students with Physical Disabilities to Pursue Field Biology

该REU网站奖授予贝克大学，鲍德温城，KS，与加州科学院，旧金山，CA合作，将支持8名学生的培训，为期10周，在2015-2017年的夏季。该项目为学生提供了一个机会，让他们有机会对水熊（缓步动物门）的世界进行原创性研究，并探索森林冠层高边界的生态奥秘。学生们将接受训练，攀爬绳索和取样树梢栖息地，以发现新的分布、生态和物种。他们将使用先进的显微镜（PC， DIC， AF， SEM）来收集分析，演示和出版所需的数据和图像。学生研究人员将前往佛罗里达州，马萨诸塞州或俄勒冈州的LTER站点的其他森林类型收集比较数据。学生们将通过在加州科学院的海报展示来完成研究过程，在那里他们还将通过教授用于采样树冠的攀爬技术来参与公众宣传。对生活在森林冠层中的缓步动物进行三维比较生态学研究，将揭示这些生物的分布和未被开发的温带森林的复杂性。预计总共有24名学生将接受该项目的培训，这些学生主要来自研究机会有限的学校，他们可能有行动障碍。学生将沉浸在研究设计、计划、实施、分析和报告中。所有人都将在科学会议上以海报和演讲的形式展示他们的研究成果，许多人将为同行评议的期刊撰写手稿。我们以结果为导向的REU经验将激励学生，无论是否残疾，追求研究生学位，并将提高他们的职业生涯，因为他们成为教育工作者，科学家和思想领袖。REU计划的通用网络评估工具（由生物基础设施部生物科学理事会资助）将用于衡量培训计划的有效性。学生必须同意在项目结束后接受NSF自动电子邮件报告系统的跟踪。相关信息请访问www.bakeru.edu/canopy，或与威廉·米勒（William.Miller@BakerU.edu）或梅格·洛曼（mlowman@calacademy.org）联系。

This REU Site award to Baker University, Baldwin City, KS, in collaboration with the California Academy of Science, San Francisco, CA, will support the training of eight students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2015-2017. The program offers students with and without ambulatory disability (on crutches or in wheelchairs) the opportunity to conduct original research into the world of water bears (phylum Tardigrada) and the ecological mysteries of the high frontier of the forest canopy. Students will be trained to climb ropes and sample treetop habitats to discover new distributions, ecologies, and species. They will use advanced microscopes (PC, DIC, AF, SEM) to amass the data and images necessary for analysis, presentation, and publication. Student researchers will travel to alternative forest types at LTER sites in Florida, Massachusetts, or Oregon to collect comparative data. Students will complete the research process with a poster presentation at the California Academy of Science, where they will also engage in public outreach by teaching climbing techniques used to sample the tree canopy. The three-dimensional, comparative ecological studies of tardigrades living in forest canopies will shed light on both the distribution of these organisms and the complexity of underexplored temperate forests. It is anticipated that a total of 24 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities and who may have ambulatory disabilities will be trained in the program. Students will be immersed in research design, planning, conduct, analysis and reporting. All will present their work as posters and talks at scientific meetings, and many will write manuscripts for peer reviewed journals. Our results-orientated REU experience will motivate students, with or without a disability, to pursue graduate degrees and will enhance their careers as they become educators, scientists, and leaders of thought. The common web-based assessment tool for REU programs (funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure) will be used to measure the effectiveness of the training program. Students must agree to be tracked after the program by the NSF automated email reporting system. Information is available at www.bakeru.edu/canopy, or by contacting William Miller (William.Miller@BakerU.edu) or Meg Lowman (mlowman@calacademy.org).