Undergraduate Diversity at the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Society of Systematic Biologists

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB) are the premier professional societies in the US for discussion and dissemination of ideas relating to evolution. This award will provide travel, registration, and lodging costs for approximately 15 undergraduates from groups underrepresented in science for the annual meetings of these societies for the years 2008 - 2011. This award is a continuation of a very successful program that began with the 2001 meetings and has 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 seminar that will help encourage the students to prepare for careers and/or graduate school in evolutionary and 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 participation by underrepresented groups at the Evolution meetings, and ultimately should have a positive effect on participation in evolutionary biology nationally.