The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB) are the premier Societies in the US for discussion and dissemination of ideas relating to evolution. This proposal will provide travel costs, registration costs, and lodging costs to approximately 15 minority undergraduates for the annual meetings of these societies for the years 2003 - 2006. These undergraduates will also present posters at the meetings. The proposal is an outgrowth of a pilot program conducted at the 2001 meetings which raised awareness and enthusiasm for the need to broaden the undergraduate base at the meetings. During the meetings the undergraduates will be mentored by graduate student and faculty mentors, who will help the undergraduate network at the meetings, help demystify talks for the undergraduates, and generally make the students feel more welcome at the meetings. There will also be an official mentoring session for undergraduates, consisting of a 'pep-talk'/seminar that will help encourage the students to prepare for careers and/or graduate school in evolutionary/environmental biology. These activities will be supplemented by social activities not covered by this grant, as well as further efforts on the part of both societies for encouraging undergraduate participation, such as reduced registration fees, daily fees for attendance by students at the host site, and an undergraduate poster session. These activities will help increase the amount of minority and other undergraduate participation at the meetings, and ultimately should have a positive effect on minority participation in evolutionary biology nationally.
