This award to Comanche Nation College (CNC) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) will establish an Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program at these two collaborating institutions. The 5-year URM program is aimed at increasing the number of American Indians who pursue graduate degrees in the biological sciences. The PIs plan to engage a total of 4 cohorts, each comprised of 3 undergraduates for a period of 24 months at CNC, and a total of 3 cohorts of 5 students each for a period of 36 months at OSU. The PIs expect this project to serve a total of 15-27 undergraduate students over a period of 5 years. Students at CNC who complete their associate's degree in the biological sciences can continue in the program to complete their bachelor's degree at OSU; however, students from other two-year schools are also eligible to participate. Undergraduate students will participate in research under the mentorship of faculty at both institutions. In addition to research, students will receive professional development and scientific communication training that will allow them to competitively apply to graduate programs and present the results of their research at conferences and to the public. Students will be recruited to CNC from high schools with high American Indian enrollment through summer camps and to OSU from CNC and other tribal and community colleges in Oklahoma. While students are at CNC and OSU, seminars and workshops will increase awareness of career options, promote interactions between students and professionals, encourage the development of networking skills, and highlight American Indian traditions and customs in the context of biological research. Students will actively participate in research throughout the duration of the program, culminating in student-driven, mentor-guided, independent research projects during their final years at OSU. Student research projects will focus on topics in the area of ecology and environmental stress, such as the effects of biological and environmental stressors (e.g., chemicals, climatic extremes, landscape modifications, management strategies, etc.) on organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems. A series of workshops will assist students with the graduate school application process, and a capstone course will provide strategies for success in graduate school and beyond. More information is available by contacting Kristen Baum (kristen.baum@okstate.edu) or Donald French (dfrench@okstate.edu) at OSU or Gene Pekah (gpekah@cnc.cc.ok.us) or Consuelo Lopez (clopez@cnc.cc.ok.us) at CNC. Additional information is also available at http://urm.okstate.edu/.
