NSF funding will establish an interdisciplinary Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) program at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). Thirty-two students will be recruited to the program over four years. The MU UMEB program will train under-represented minority scholars in three inter-related research areas central to environmental health globally and in the American Midwest, in particular: (i) the ecology and genetics of crop improvement; (ii) the conservation of forest and grassland dwelling species; and (iii) the ecology and management of highly impacted urban environments. Students will spend at least two years at the University of Missouri-Columbia conducting year round faculty-mentored research in one of the three disciplinary themes beginning with a summer field project and leading to a poster presentation at a national professional meeting. Because solutions to environmental challenges require partnerships between agency, corporate and faculty researchers, MU UMEB scholars will spend their second summer working as research interns at partner agencies and corporations that include the Missouri Department of Conservation, the US Forest Service, Monsanto Inc., Pioneer Hi-Bred, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The MU UMEB program further emphasizes professional training during the academic year by including elective courses that lead to Certification in Environmental Studies. To promote interdisciplinary thinking, the MU UMEB includes two core courses that develop professional communication and outreach skills, consider research and environmental ethics, and provide learning service experiences in K-6 outdoor education and environmental journalism. The UMEB program broadens the recruitment pipeline for under-represented minority students through collaboration with two major urban community colleges, Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, MO and St. Louis Community College in St. Louis, MO. To ensure student retention, UMEB scholars will form close mentoring relationships with graduate student and peer mentors and will engage in team building activities, study groups, and family-inclusive events that celebrate their accomplishments. The UMEB program aims to equip its 32 student participants with skills to attack environmental problems from an interdisciplinary perspective and credentials to attain positions of prominence in environmental biology. For more information contact Dr. Candace Galen at galenc@missouri.edu (573-882-4832) or Dr. Charles Nilon at nilonc@missouri.edu (573-882-3738).
