REU Site: Environmental Science and Ecology on the Colorado Plateau

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to Northern Arizona University, located in Flagstaff, AZ, will support nine students for ten weeks during the summers of 2024-2026. It is anticipated that a total of 27 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. This REU site focuses on providing high-quality research experiences for students from tribal and community colleges and other institutions where students may not be retained in the sciences and/or may not consider moving to additional institutions to complete 4-year or graduate degrees in STEM. This program aims to advance our understanding of ecology, biodiversity, and the environment at the Colorado Plateau. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through an online tool. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). A combination of intensive recruiting, cohort building, and supportive research mentoring tools will be used to provide life-changing research and academic experiences for students from tribal and community colleges. Recruiting based on face-to-face meetings and relationship development between the PI and faculty at the students’ home institutions encourages the participation of students who might otherwise not feel comfortable in a new environment. Mentoring that begins with multidimensional interactions of peers and faculty helps students to feel that they are a fully integrated part of the research endeavor and allows them to see a pathway from community and tribal colleges to a scientific career. A strong pool of mentors with extensive experience in funded research and mentoring undergraduates, especially Native American and Hispanic students, provides the core programmatic strength. Students will have the opportunity to interact with many scientists working on the cutting edge of their fields. This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program. 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.