An award has been made to California State University Fullerton (CSUF) to establish an Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program. The program will provide two-year research experiences in environmental biology and ecology to five cohorts of scholars (five students per cohort) starting in spring 2011 and continuing through winter 2015. Each cohort will comprise five students who will be trained on research involving problems related to the sustainability of native ecosystems. CSUF-URM scholars will study these ecosystems and develop high-quality research skills that apply critical thinking beyond what is typically achieved in an undergraduate classroom. By the end of their tenure in the program, scholars will be well positioned for admission into highly competitive graduate programs in the environmental and ecological disciplines. The CSUF-URM program will include three main components: (1) a summer field course; (2) two years of independent research, mentored directly by faculty, and culminating in a senior thesis; and (3) enhancement activities to foster cohort-building and networking, peer mentoring, communication skills building, ethics training, and career development. Scholars will be selected based on their interests, career goals, and ability for productive research as determined by past experiences, academic performance, and letters of recommendation. Scholars will investigate a diversity of projects built around the expertise of the faculty mentors, including (1) the effects of disturbance on communities and behavior, (2) the physiological and ecological impacts of non-native species, (3) the response of species to current and future climate conditions, (4) conservation methods for native species, and (5) baseline ecological conditions in vulnerable habitats. Research performed by scholars will be presented at national conferences, and form the basis of an undergraduate research thesis. All CSUF-URM scholars will develop research skills that will (1) contribute directly to the greater knowledge of our changing Earth, (2) increase visibility and awareness of environmental sciences across the many cultural divisions of Southern California, and (3) increase individual competitiveness for admission to graduate school. Evaluation of program success is planned through monitoring of student accomplishments and outcomes. More information is available at http://biology.fullerton.edu/scerp/index.html, or by contacting William Hoese (bhoese@fullerton.edu) or Darren Sandquist (dsandquist@fullerton.edu).
