This award will establish a Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site administered through the Biology Program at Oregon State University. The program will provide undergraduates in biological sciences with research experiences in ecosystem studies at the Andrews Experimental Forest which is the site for several interdisciplinary projects, including the NSF sponsored Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Students will learn and develop skills as they interact and work closely with scientists from several disciplines on individual projects within the larger coordinated studies. To foster student development, a 4-phase program is planned: an overview phase which explains integrated ecosystem studies, an apprenticeship phase to develop skills, a personal research phase, and an evaluation and follow-up phase. According to their interests, students will join a collaborating scientist for the second and third phases. The Principal Investigator will coordinate the program, organize the overview phase, field trips, and seminars, integrating the students and collaborating scientists, facilities progress toward independent questioning, and evaluating results. Students will be housed at the field station with other researchers, an arrangement that encourages after-hours discussions and helps break the barriers between disciplines. The project will place promising students at a scenic research site with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to produce good science and develop an enthusiasm for biological research.
