The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) has established a minority undergraduate mentoring program associated with its annual meeting. The first four years of the program have been highly successful. This proposal seeks funding to support the participation of 7 undergraduate students per year from underrepresented groups in the mentoring program for an additional 4 years. SWS was established in 1980 to allow and promote the exchange of information related to wetlands. SWS is unique among scientific societies in that its members, from the academic, government, and private consulting sectors, represent a variety of perspectives on wetland science. The intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed activity are closely intertwined. SWS has devised a variety of strategies (symposia, social events, field trips, mentoring, follow-up) to ensure that award recipients will get maximum benefits out of their week-long SWS annual meeting experience and the mentoring they receive before and after the meeting.
Intellectual Merit: Attendance of a select group of undergraduate students from underrepresented groups at an annual scientific meeting provides each student with a perspective on and exposure to the breadth and depth of wetland science and personal contacts that cannot be obtained at a single academic home institution. The annual meeting of the Society includes concurrent sessions over four days, along with plenary and poster sessions. Because SWS spans academic, government, and private consulting sectors, individual students will be able to tailor their daily activities to their own personal interests in wetland science. By pairing undergraduate students with graduate student or faculty mentors at the annual meeting and by providing workshops and symposia oriented toward career development, SWS will foster active participation and discussion, each a key component of advancing science and promoting the intellectual development of undergraduate students.
Broader Impacts: SWS recognizes the need to reach out to underrepresented groups to provide intellectual opportunities for personal growth and development. Attendance at a scientific meeting can often provide the intellectual spark, along with the opportunities to make contacts for the future, that encourage undergraduate students to continue their professional education beyond the Bachelor's degree. The goal is to use the mentoring program to open doors for undergraduate students in underrepresented groups. Each award recipient will be assigned a mentor, who will function in many ways, including as a personal bridge-builder, introducing each student to SWS members whose professional interests are in line with those of the undergraduate student.
