Expanding Career Opportunities in Wildlife and Environmental Biology

University Of Mary, Bismarck ND

Investigators

Abstract

Over the past decade, the Bakken oil boom has had a significant impact on the western North Dakota economy and landscape, resulting in an increased need for wildlife conservationists and environmental scientists to study the energy industry's interactions with the environment. To address this need, The University of Mary's Expanding Career Opportunities in Wildlife and Environmental Biology (ECOWEB) project will recruit and enroll 12 academically talented students with financial need in the UM biology program's wildlife conservation or environmental science track. The ECOWEB project will award scholarships ranging from $8,000 to $10,000 per year and enhance student support structures and connections to work-based, research, and graduate school opportunities, so as to ensure students obtain a bachelor's degree and successfully transition to STEM employment or graduate school. The ECOWEB Project will have broad and significant impacts in the following ways: 1) enhancing collaborations between UM and other institutions by providing graduate school visits and collaborative research opportunities for S-STEM scholars; 2) enhancing the Biology Department's partnerships with regional biology-related industries and agencies by establishing internship opportunities and seminar events; 3) increasing the number and quality of research opportunities for biology students as well as opportunities to participate and present at professional conferences; 4) increasing the number of biology graduates from populations traditionally underrepresented in STEM; and 5) strategically disseminating evaluation findings within the UM community and to other postsecondary institutions and STEM professionals to advance knowledge and practice about student recruitment and support structures that increase retention to graduation and career preparation. The ECOWEB project will accomplish three objectives that address local needs. Objective 1: Identify and recruit a diverse population of 12 academically talented students with financial need for the UM biology program's wildlife conservation or environmental science track. The recruitment plan includes digital and print marketing, local and regional high school recruitment, and Open House events that encourage students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM. Objective 2: Enhance student support structures to ensure wildlife conservation and environmental science students obtain a bachelor's degree within four years. The project will employ strategies and support structures that increase student retention to graduation, enable students to complete their degree in four years, and prepare graduates for successful transition into the wildlife conservation and environmental science workforce or graduate programs. UM Biology Department faculty and student support administrators will collaboratively develop, implement, and assess an array of new and enhanced support services, including: a) an S-STEM cohort model that emphasizes an S-STEM identity and community learning, b) an S-STEM-specific First Year Experience course, c) faculty and peer mentorships, d) a monthly seminar series with industry experts and researchers working in wildlife conservation and environmental science fields, e) biology-related service-learning projects, f) summer research and internship opportunities, and g) student participation in national and regional professional conferences. Objective 3: Enable S-STEM scholars to secure employment in target fields or enter a biology graduate program within one year of graduation. The ECOWEB project will prepare scholars for the STEM workforce or graduate school by providing key support services and activities, including career counseling, GRE preparation, a seminar series, internship opportunities, and field trips to graduate programs. Assessment of the efficacy of these different activities will help contribute to expanding the knowledge base regarding the circumstances under which scholarship projects of this type are successful.