This project will train undergraduates in the biological and mathematical sciences to do research at the interface of the two disciplines with a focus on environmental biology. Students will take relevant classes, participate in group activities, join a research team and develop, execute, analyze, interpret, write-up, and present a project of their own design, related to the team's chosen research problem with supervision of their mentors. The science conducted by students in the program will focus on computational approaches to selecting optimal field sampling designs for multi-site population monitoring and assessment and to estimate gene flow and effective population size without the restrictive constraints of currently used models.
Additional goals include stimulating and mentoring students from groups that are currently underrepresented in the sciences to consider careers in environmental biology. These objectives will be met through research experiences, close mentoring in research teams, group activities, and careful advising. Furthermore, the research problems we will focus on are of importance to designing efficient monitoring programs for rare and endangered species.
