An award has been made to Northern Arizona University (NAU) to establish an Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program. NAU is an institution with a strong reputation for training Native American students as well as students from other underrepresented backgrounds. The NAU-URM program will provide research experiences in biology to four cohorts of scholars starting in fall 2010 and continuing through summer 2014. Each cohort will be comprised of at least seven students who will be trained by faculty mentors involved in cutting-edge research. Scholars will be matched with mentors based upon their individual interests because experience has shown that matching students with the right mentor is critical to inspiring Native American students to pursue advanced degrees. URM scholars will have a wide variety of research projects from which to select. Some examples include: (1) biological responses to uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation; (2) ecological responses to climate change using an elevation gradient as a proxy for climate; (3) developmental responses of amphibians to endocrine disruptors in the environment; (4) effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment on the structure of soil food webs; and others. Scholars in the NAU-URM program will be selected based on their potential to succeed in graduate programs in the biological sciences, and their personal statements, past experiences, academic performance, and letters of recommendation. The NAU-URM program will provide undergraduate scholars one to three years of independent research mentored directly by faculty and a year-long research methods seminar. The program assures the success of scholars through integrating four levels of advisement and mentoring: faculty mentors, peer mentors, URM program staff, and NAU student services. In addition to research, students have access to a strong support system in the university and receive training in effective written and oral communication. Scholars are encouraged to present their research findings at national and international meetings, and co-author publications in peer-reviewed journals. URM program staff will monitor scholars' experiences through regular assessments of their research progress and academic progress. The goal is to get URM scholars to gain admission into highly competitive graduate programs in the biological sciences. The success of the program will be measured by the student accomplishments and their career outcomes. More information is available at www.cefns.nau.edu/Academic/CSE/umeb/, or by contacting Nancy Johnson (Nancy.Johnson@nau.edu) or Karen Haubensak (Karen.Haubensak@nau.edu).
