REU Site: Conservation, Restoration, and Communication

The University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees, Orlando FL

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This REU Site award to the University of Central Florida, located in Orlando, FL, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2022- 2024. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from under-represented groups, will be trained through this program. The program focus meets a critical national need to train students in the fields of conservation and restoration using cutting-edge tools and techniques. Interwoven into the experience will be science communication training. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Targeted field trips will include visits to regional zoos, national and state parks, urban conservation sites, as well as the opportunity to watch sea turtles nest, hands-on oyster reef restoration, honey bee keeping, and job shadowing with local conservation specialists. Assessment of the program will be done thru the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. The scientific focus of this REU Site is the conservation and restoration of diverse taxa (e.g., sea turtles, oysters, mangroves, frogs, honeybees, wading birds, captive bred species in zoos, etc.) and ecosystems (oceans, beaches, estuaries, wetlands, etc.) with a focus on Florida. Human activities often seek to improve natural systems through conservation and restoration. Limited understanding of these processes, however, makes success difficult. The University of Central Florida’s Biology Department is home to many experts in these ever-expanding fields. Our REU mentors combine field data collection with cutting-edge laboratory research (e.g., eDNA, metabolomics). This REU program focuses on inquiry-based research projects developed by students with support from their mentors. Directly connected to both conservation and restoration is communication. Students participating in this REU will enhance their communication skills with the goal of each student developing a science identity by the end of summer. Professional development training is designed to remove common barriers to success; workshops include ethics and responsible conduct of research, career choices and job shadowing opportunities, how to navigate graduate school admissions, and time management. More information about the program is available by visiting https://academicsuccess.ucf.edu/reu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Linda Walters at linda.walters@ucf.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Kate Mansfield at kate.mansfield@ucf.edu). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.