The UMAB REU Site will provide students an intensive summer research experience, focusing on issues of conservation biology, ecology, and biodiversity. Consistent with the mission of the University, the project aims to involve a diverse group of students, including non-traditional students from urban environments, minorities underrepresented in science, and women. Twelve undergraduates, recruited locally and nationally, will participate in research with ten faculty sponsors in the Department of Biology. The two complementary components of the program are (1) intensive individual research projects, in which each student works closely with an advisor/mentor, and (2) weekly group discussions for all students. Potential research topics include the physiological ecology of Lepidoptera, the diversity of bacteria, the genetics of endangered plants, and the genetic diversity of deep-sea molluscs. Each student will prepare a report and present research results in a student research symposium. The group meetings will address the theory and practice of research and its conduct and implications, including ethical issues. The ethics component will focus on the research process. Participants will also visit two or more field sites and learn directly about each other's projects. A hands-on workshop on molecular techniques will demonstrate the great potential of such methods for ecology. An end-of-session retreat at the University Field Station on Nantucket Island will serve to articulate impressions and bring cohesion to the summer experience.
