This UMEB proposal builds upon a successful model developed with initial UMEB funding. New program elements guided by lessons learned through program assessment have been added. The goal is to provide intensive support and mentoring for 24 students from under-represented groups, particularly Native Americans. Student's interest is nurtured beginning freshman year through senior year, using shared student activities in the field as well as on campus. An intensive 2-year experience of mentoring, research and community outreach activities begins in the junior year. A three-stage field experience is initiated by weekend field trips to the Adirondack Ecological Center (AEC) during the freshman and sophomore years, a 5-week summer field course at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station (CLBS) after the sophomore year, and the capstone experience of mentored summer field research at the AEC or CLBS after the junior year. Shared coursework in the field, 4 semesters of focused UMEB seminars and a close-knit community for collaborative learning are hallmarks of the program. Students also work with a stewardship mentor-- a scientist from a collaborating environmental organization or agency. Research projects are student-driven under the theme of "Science and Stewardship in the Adirondacks". The proposed activities bridge the gap between traditional classroom learning and application of the knowledge in the field. Pairing of students with professional stewardship mentors from the conservation community benefits both UMEB students and the work of stewardship organizations. Communication of research results via community outreach programs will benefit ESF partners in the Adirondack Mountains by further integrating sound science into decision-making.
supported the academic, professional and personal development of 48 undergraduate students in the field of environmental biology, in a span of six years. About 48% of these students were from traditionally underrepresented populations (including veterans) and 60% were women. The program provided strong mentoring, career exploration and preparation for graduate school in a 2 year research experience for each student, focused on questions of conservation biology in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, a great living laboratory to explore stewardship and sustainability at the intersection of wilderness and human activity. The project met its goals of nurturing the success of a new generation of environmental biologists: 92% of the participating students have completed all UMEB requirements and earned their BS degrees from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, one of the nation’s leading institutions in environmental education and research. Post-graduation surveys reveal that 43% of our UMEB students have either completed or are currently enrolled on graduate school in environmental science and 35% are successfully employed in the field, for a combined 87% success rate in entry into the profession of environmental biology. Our high caliber students are employed with agencies including USDA APHIS, White House Council on environmental Quality, private firms and environmental NGOs. Students completed implementation of their mentored research projects which included a faculty research mentor as well as a mentor from the community of 17 different stewardship organizations in the Adirondack region where the students worked. We are very proud of our accomplished students, every one of whom has publicly presented their research findings. A number of our students have received award recognition for their outstanding research. Our UMEB program was recognized by the Organization of Biological Field Stations’ Human Diversity Award, for which we are most honored. Through our intensive multi-level mentoring and research preparation seminars every semester, students gained skills and experience essential for professional development as a scientists, including accessing the scientific literature through library research skills, development of an annotated bibliography and literature review for their specific area of research interest, formulation of a good research question and research rationale, development of a research proposal, hypothesis development, experimental design and sampling strategy, field and laboratory techniques, data analysis and interpretation, development of research paper and poster for publication and presentation, experience in professional oral and written communication. In addition the UMEB seminars and collaborations provided significant exploration of environmental and scientific careers, graduate school preparation and professional networking. Students were paired with "stewardship mentors", professionals in the field who provided a scientific and community context for the research undertaken by the students and opportunities to see the application of their research to on the ground conservation practice. Our program facilitated the coupling of scientific knowledge and social responsibility, so our UMEB students engaged in a wide array of outreach activities to share their knowledge and experience with the public. Their outreach projects included bringing environmental science programming to local schools serving under-represented populations, sponsoring an "Explore Environmental Science Day" at SUNY ESF for local schools, conservation education activities at a local nature center and serving as mentors and science fair judges in the community. Several students also shared their skills as mentors and instructors at our Native Earth Environmental Youth Camp for Native American high school students in the Adirondacks. Supplemental funding enabled our students to participate in a "Land Use Ethics" seminar, and permitted us to extend UMEB activities to high school students through the RAHSS program. In sum, National Science Foundation funding for our UMEB program has supported the education and professional development of 48 undergraduate students, 87% of whom have successfully entered the scientific professions or enrolled in graduate programs in environmental biology to date. These efforts have significantly increased the potential diversity of the scientific community, through strong participation by students from populations typically under-represented in higher education in science and the scientific workforce. The program has engaged the energy and skills of 48 undergraduates, 4 high school students,4 graduate student mentors, 17 organizational partners, 25 faculty mentors and hundreds of people in the community exposed to environmental science outreach activities created by the UMEB students.
