The objectives of this REU Site are to (1) Train students from ecosystem, earth, engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences in collaborative interdisciplinary research and professional development, (2) Forestall the flight of US citizens from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines by recruiting qualified, diverse students to engage in ecological problems requiring computer, mathematical sciences and engineering input, and (3) Conduct research to develop and apply novel techniques in computer science, engineering, and mathematics to solve natural resource management problems, allowing informatics to enable the science and the science to enable tool development. We will achieve these objectives through structured research experiences, thematic and professional development seminars, exchanges with other REU sites, immersive field experiences, and mentoring and development of collegial relationships. Students will be recruited from ecology, geosciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. We will actively recruit Native, Black, and Hispanic Americans and will provide all students with high quality mentoring, graduate school fellowship opportunities, and, and career counseling so they will enter the work force equipped to make key contributions to natural resources management and policy. We intend to provide students with skills for today?s science environment where information technology and models are essential parts of ecosystem management.
Mentored by teams of interdisciplinary scientists, participants will address three key research themes: (1) regional climate change and vegetation "landform" atmosphere interactions using sensor networks, computer visualization, mathematical models, and field studies of climate and vegetation; (2) landscape-scale changes in species distributions using bioacoustics, machine learning, and large datasets of birds and insects; and (3) network-scale river restoration using fiber optic temperature sensors, physical models of channel hydraulics, and mathematical modeling. Each theme integrates ecological principles, field experiences, novel engineering techniques, new developments in computer science, and mathematical modeling and problem solving.
This REU site will serve as a national model for transforming the education of undergraduates to embrace Ecosystem Informatics (EI) as both a set of tools and a mindset for approaching and solving natural resources problems in an interdisciplinary context. The activities will advance discovery while promoting training and learning in key social issues including climate change, ecological change, and restoration. It will recruit and train underrepresented minorities, enhance infrastructure and programs at the Andrews Forest LTER and OSU Wave Lab, link with an IGERT and REUs at OSU, and disseminate management and policy implications to USFS partners.
Intellectual merit The EcoInformatics Summer Institute (EISI) REU unites students (Figure 1) and concepts in fields of informatics (e.g. computer science, mathematics, and engineering) to address grand challenges in ecology and environmental management. This program addresses natural resources management questions that are characterized by "big data," the "fourth paradigm," and "networked science." The objectives of the EISI have been to: Provide new, synthetic skills: The EISI trained students from ecosystem, earth, engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences in collaborative interdisciplinary research and professional development. Enhance diversity: This REU contributed to reducing the flight of US citizens and minorities (National Science Board 2007, National Research Council 2007) from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines by recruiting qualified, diverse students to engage in ecological problems requiring computer and mathematical sciences and engineering. Promote novel research in Ecoinformatics: EISI students conducted research to develop and apply novel techniques in computer science, engineering, and mathematics ("informatics") to study and help resolve natural resource management problems, allowing informatics to enable the science and the science to enable tool development. Foster leadership and communication: Student participants were trained to develop transferrable leadership and communication skills in a diverse, interdisciplinary environment. Broader impacts Participation in the EISI program has been competitive, with a 20% acceptance rate in 2011 and 15% acceptance rate in 2012, with ~75 applications received each year. We attribute the decreased acceptance rate (increased competition) to more effective recruiting efforts in 2012. In addition, at least three (a fourth pending) new research grants, in which we used results from the REU students' research as preliminary results, were successfully funded by NSF, including two in computer science and one in engineering (award #0832804 Dietterich PI, award #1125228 Dietterich PI, award #1134596 Tullos PI). In addition, three students from previous iterations of this REU program have returned to OSU as PhD students in Computer Science. The EISI REU site had moderate success in recruiting minority students; Participants (2011 and 2012) were 65% female, 8% Hispanic and 8% Asian. We have been very successful recruiting a high percentage of quality female candidates in the fields of math, computer science and engineering (55% in 2011, 50% in 2012), within which female students remain underrepresented (27% of all math and CS graduate degrees and 23% of all engineering graduate degrees were awarded to women in 2010 [Bell, 2011]). Pre- and post-program assessments indicate that participants report (Figure 2) stronger post program skills within both the technical and cross-disciplinary domains. In addition, nearly 90% of participants who responded to our post-program survey indicated that they have already enrolled or are planning to enroll in graduate school and that the EISI program contributed to their interest in pursuing research.
