Intellectual Merit. The Academy for the Environment REU Site program will link nationally recruited undergraduates with accomplished academic scientists to further the scientific understanding of our bioregion. These research teams will work in the Eastern Sierra Region of Nevada, specifically within the Lake Tahoe-Truckee River-Pyramid Lake watershed. This REU site encompasses a wide range of biological and natural resource science research, and the topics range from studies on fire effects on watershed restoration to the anthropogenic influences on water quality along the shore zone at Lake Tahoe. The REU Site participants will be exposed to diverse scientific inquiries and technologies to gain insight into the manner in which science informs land use policy and conservation initiatives. The overarching goal of this program is to explore the interdisciplinary intersections of the various subfields in the sciences that are required for adaptively managing watersheds.
The unifying approach of the program centers upon the necessary union of social and biological sciences with natural resource management policy. The research projects with which students are involved are situated within a biologically diverse watershed, a unique ecological system that provides varied and compelling research opportunities in mountain, desert, and riparian biotic communities. More broadly, the program exposes students to integrated research questions that connect these ecosystems to larger questions of water usage and conservation in the West. The exploration of these inquiries entails utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, while also allowing each student to explore in depth a particular aspect of a given project.
Broader Impacts. An important emphasis of this program is team building and positive work environments and the role of undergraduate students in these processes. As a result, the impact of the REU Site program will expand the students' understanding of, and participation in, effective research programs while producing research that has the potential to contribute significantly to a particular field. The desired outcome of this program is to bridge students, faculty, and natural resource managers in a collective effort towards enhancing our scientific understanding of regional conservation issues in an applied context.
Research combines creativity with a thorough understanding of a subject, as well the quantitative, analytical and writing skills needed to effectively convey findings to your target audience. In order to build a future generation of talented researchers, it is crucial to give young students an opportunity to partake in the research process so that they may experience the challenges and rewards associated with research. During the past three summers (2010-2012), our National Science Foundation grant, ""Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake": Summer Research Experience in the Arid West" has recruited and supported 27 nationally-recruited undergraduate students to conduct research during an intensive summer REU program. The overarching goal of our program was to explore the intersections between disciplines in the socioeconomic and natural sciences that inform adaptive watershed management. We also aimed to provide undergraduate students with a comprehensive and robust research experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor in the student’s field of interest. Over the course of a 10-week program each summer, undergraduate students worked closely with their University of Nevada, Reno, faculty mentor in the following disciplines: fine art, landscape, plant and wildlife ecology, business, hydrology, history, geography, tourism, conservation biology, resource economics, limnology and political science, to develop and implement an array of projects that addressed current issues regarding natural resource management within the watershed. The research experience began with an intensive one-week orientation to familiarize students with the regional ecosystem and the broader landscape-level context for their individual projects. Throughout the course of the summer students were further exposed to local natural resource management issues through a series of lectures and discussions with local managers and scientists which aimed to highlight the complexity of balancing policy and science to make informed management decisions. Our program expanded students’ knowledge of a specific topic related to natural resource management in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee River-Pyramid Lake watershed while allowing them to participate in all aspects of the research process. Students were directly involved in every aspect of the research process, including the following steps: proposal writing, study design, field work, data organization and analysis, and presentation of findings. Our research program culminated in an undergraduate research poster session where students presented the findings of their projects to their peers, faculty and the general public. All projects contributed to an increased scientific and/or socioeconomic understanding of regional conservation issues in an applied context. Feedback from students was very positive. Of the 27 students that participated in our REU program during 2010-2012, 89% indicated this was their first undergraduate research experience. As a learning experience, 52% rated the REU program as "fantastic-this is a great way to learn"; the remaining 48% indicated they "learned a lot." Students reported their overall experience with mentors was excellent or good (89%), with 88% indicating their overall research experience met or exceeded their expectations. When asked if their REU experience changed their perspective on continuing their education, 44% of the students indicated they already planned to go to graduate school and still did, while 52% reported that our REU program increased their interest in going to graduate school.
