9322300 Jackson This award provides funds to Morehouse College to establish a Research Experience for Undergraduate Site which will give six undergraduate African-American students an opportunity to participate in a unique research experience at Zoo Atlanta. Students will conduct summer studies in animal behavior and conservation biology. The goal of this program is to inspire and motivate students to pursue an advanced degree, and ultimately, a research career. Student participants will be drawn from the Psychology and Biology departments of four historically black colleges (HBC's) in Atlanta (Morehouse College, Spelman College, Morris Brown College and Clark-Atlanta University). The program will last for eight weeks in the summer, followed by a Directed Studies course in the fall with Project Director Dr. Jackson. Initially, students will participate in an intensive three-day orientation to behavioral research at Zoo Atlanta, during which they will finalize the methodology for an original aspect of an ongoing research project. Following orientation, students will work individually on these research projects under the guidance of Project Director Dr. Jackson, Project Co-Director Dr. Forthman, and Project Participants Drs. Maple and Stevens. Students will participate in weekly research seminars in which they, along with other researchers at the zoo, will discuss the progress of their research, and develop original strategies for investigating and furthering ongoing research projects taking place at the zoo and their prospective campuses. ***
