REU Sites: Dryland ecology and biodiversity in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

This REU Site award to the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM), will support the research and training of 10 undergraduate students for 10 weeks for three, consecutive summers (2023-2025). High-quality research and training activities will be conducted at the UNM Sevilleta Field Station near La Joya, NM. The research will take place in the context of a long-term ecological research (LTER) program in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) that focuses on the impacts of climate variability on biodiversity and ecological change. Students will receive training in research ethics, interact with environmental artists, and practice communicating science to the public. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities and/or from an underrepresented group, will be trained in the program with the goal of providing a steppingstone to graduate school or positions with federal agencies and non-governmental conservation organizations. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be required to register in the NSF ETAP system (etap.nsf.gov) and tracked after the program to determine their career paths. This funding continues three years of support for an REU Site Program at the UNM Sevilleta Field Station (at SNWR). This NSF-funded LTER site supports long-term studies of global change and regional taxa. UNM (an Hispanic Serving Institution) will recruit participants from underrepresented groups and primarily undergraduate institutions. Applications will be evaluated by the cover letter, transcripts, GPA, recommendation letters, and interviews. Participants will experience aridland ecosystems and real-world conservation in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. They will also receive training in public speaking and R, attend weekly seminars, gain first-hand conservation and management knowledge, participate in workshops on professional development, and receive mentorship on presenting and publishing their results. Assessment will be done with the online SALG URSSA tool. Participants will fill crucial national workforce needs that include environmental science careers while increasing underrepresented minorities in this field. More information is available by visiting https://sevilletareu.wordpress.com/ or by contacting the PI (Dr. Scott Collins at scollins@unm.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Alesia Hallmark at AlesiaHallmark@unm.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.