One of the great strengths in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is the integration of environmental biology and molecular techniques. The goal of this UMEB program is to train under-represented minority students in research that integrates these two fields. Many of the biology faculty already incorporate molecular biology techniques in the study of questions in environmental biology. For example, UMEB scholars can use DNA sequencing to answer questions about rotifer systematics and snake venom evolution. They can use DNA fingerprinting techniques, such as AFLP analysis, to assess genetic diversity of rotifers and fish in the Rio Grande.
The program activities for the UMEB Scholars at UTEP explicitly require training in both environmental and molecular biology. UMEB Scholars each have two mentors. One mentor concentrates on training in environmental biology while the other mentor concentrates on training the student to incorporate molecular approaches into their study of environmental biology. We believe that the most successful program for the recruitment and retention of minority students in environmental biology will include training in molecular biology, as skills in these areas are often lacking in classically-trained students, but graduate schools and other employers favor hiring those who can perform newer analyses. All UMEB research projects involve a substantial amount of fieldwork for surveying and studying natural populations, but the students also collect samples of their organisms in order to apply molecular techniques to their own research projects. In addition, students meet regularly for training in experimental design, elementary statistics, mechanics of scientific presentations, preparing for the GRE, identifying appropriate graduate school mentors, contacting potential mentors and applying to graduate school.
Three cohorts of four students entering their sophomore or junior year will participate in the 2-year UMEB Scholars program. Over 4 years, NSF will fund 12 students. During their first year the students spend one semester in each of the two faculty mentors' labs. At the end of the first year, students present their proposed research and preliminary findings at the UTEP Research Expo, an on-campus forum for undergraduate research. During the first summer, the students work on their research full time. The two mentors coordinate with the student the appropriate balance of field and lab work for the particular project being conducted. During the second year, the UMEB Scholars continue working on their research 10-15 hours each week under the joint supervision of their two mentors. During this year, the students participate in their first national or regional scientific meeting and travel to a prospective graduate school of the student's choosing.
UTEP serves El Paso County, a mostly bi-national/bicultural community. The ethnic composition of the University mirrors the community it serves, with Hispanics, mostly Mexican-American, accounting for over 71% of the student body. Additionally, 54.7% of the university population is female. This UMEB program provides appropriate mentoring through the various program activities including hands-on research, field trips, workshops, and travel to scientific meetings and graduate schools. This program is sure to have long-lasting effects on the scientific careers of the UMEB scholars. . For more information, contact Dr. Sandra Perez (phone: 915-747-8816; e-mail: sperez@utep.edu) or Dr. William Mackay (phone 915-747-6991; email wmackay@utep.edu).
