An award has been made to Alabama A&M University (AAMU) to establish an Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program. The program will provide two-year research experiences in environmental biology and ecology to five cohorts of scholars, starting in the spring of 2011 and continuing through winter 2015. Each cohort consists of five students who will be trained on research involving problems related to plant biology, environmental science, and food and animal science. AAMU-URM scholars will be able to select from a wide range of research projects including microbial ecology, plant science, soil biochemistry and soil genomics, bird and bat behavior, and others. URM scholars will develop research, critical thinking, and communication skills, beyond what is typically achievable in an undergraduate classroom. By the end of their tenure in the program, scholars will be well positioned for admission into graduate programs in the environmental and ecological disciplines. The AAMU-URM students will participate in independent field or laboratory research, be mentored directly by faculty, and engage in enhancement activities to foster cohort-building, networking, and peer mentoring. The URM scholars will be selected based on their interests, career goals, academic performance, and letters of recommendation. Research performed by scholars will be presented at national or regional conferences. All AAMU-URM scholars will develop research skills that will (1) contribute directly to the greater knowledge of our ecosystems science, (2) increase visibility and awareness of biological and environmental sciences across Alabama, and (3) increase individual competitiveness for admission to graduate school. Evaluation of program success is planned through monitoring of student accomplishments and outcomes. More information is available at www.aamu.edu/urm/, or by contacting Elica Moss ( Elica.Moss@aamu.edu ) or Govind Sharma (govind.sharma@aamu.edu).
