REU Site: Ecological Modeling of the Mississippi River Basin

该项目的目标是通过生态建模研究项目培养跨学科数学本科生;激励本科生，特别是代表性不足和/或第一代大学生，在他们的家乡机构获得有限的研究，参加研究生院;并准备本科生在跨学科，合作环境中取得成功。为了实现这些目标作为这个REU网站的一部分，学生使用生态建模技术来解决有关野生动物疾病的问题，以及有助于洪泛区森林多样性和水质的因素。项目利用来自密西西比河流域的20年数据集，以更好地了解这一独特地区的生物模式和过程。24名学生参与者培养了过渡到STEM相关职业（包括数学生物学）所需的动机和广泛技能。 由于REU的研究经验是与联邦科学家合作的，因此学生项目的结果可以迅速应用于资源管理问题，这可能有助于为州和联邦机构未来的决策提供信息（美国鱼类和野生动物管理局）。参与者在这个REU网站完成的研究项目将通过解决新颖的研究，为生态建模的整体知识做出贡献在野生动物疾病，水质和森林多样性领域的问题，使用普通和随机微分方程，最优控制理论，时间序列分析，多变量分析和占用建模。导师包括教师和联邦科学家，他们很高兴继续领导生态建模的本科生研究项目，并在同行评审的期刊和/或区域或国家会议上传播项目结果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The objectives of this project are to train undergraduates in interdisciplinary mathematics via research projects in ecological modeling; to motivate undergraduate students, especially underrepresented and/or first-generation college students with limited access to research at their home institution, to attend graduate school; and to prepare undergraduate students to be successful in an interdisciplinary, collaborative setting. To achieve these objectives as part of this REU Site, students use ecological modeling techniques to address questions about wildlife diseases as well as the factors contributing to floodplain forest diversity and water quality. Projects utilize 20-year data sets from the Mississippi River Basin to better understand the biological patterns and processes underlying this unique region. The 24 student participants develop the motivation and wide-ranging skills necessary to transition into STEM-related careers, including those in mathematical biology. Since this REU research experience is in collaboration with federal scientists, results from students' projects can be rapidly applied to resource-management problems, which may help to inform future decisions made by state and federal agencies (such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).The research projects completed by participants in this REU Site will contribute to the overall body of knowledge in ecological modeling by tackling novel research questions in the areas of wildlife disease, water quality and forest diversity using ordinary and stochastic differential equations, optimal control theory, time-series analysis, multivariate analysis, and occupancy modeling. The mentors include faculty and federal scientists who are excited to continue leading undergraduate research projects in ecological modeling and disseminating project results in peer-reviewed journals and/or regional or national conferences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.