Preparing students for graduate school and careers in ecology: Best practices from NSF undergraduate research and mentoring programs - UMEB/URM

Background/Question/Methods

Ecology and related disciplines have lagged behind other scientific fields in the recruitment and retention of minority students. Undergraduate research programs have been used as tool for engaging minority students in ecology and as an introduction to graduate study and careers in ecology and environmental fields. However, relatively little information is available on the specific aspects of these programs that are associated with starting students from underrepresented groups on a pathway toward a career in ecology. In 2009 and 2011 I surveyed principal investigators in the National Science Foundation- funded Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences (URM) program to identify the program characteristics that they perceive lead to successful recruitment and retention of undergraduate minority students. Principal investigators were asked to describe program characteristics and participant outcomes of their URM project that they used as metrics of success in preparing students for graduate school and careers in ecology and related disciplines.

Results/Conclusions

The URM principal investigators identified several characteristics of successful programs that are not typical of traditional undergraduate research programs. URM projects focused on year-round mentoring, often by multiple mentors and developed . The projects stressed the importance of communicating information on research and activities to local communities and to the URM students' families. The projects sought to create a supportive atmosphere beyond that of individual lab groups. These characteristics of successful programs suggest that efforts to increase the represetation of minorities in ecology should beyond recruitment and intense research and academic preparation.