Environmental Biology Scholars (EBS) initiative: This new program is directed by Dr. Mary McKenna and funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology grant. It involves mentoring undergraduates in ecological research and encouraging students to enter graduate programs in environmental biology. The program is structured to support three cohorts of five students before the end of the current funding period.
Students are conducting research in the Washington DC metro area, at the Baltimore Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site; at the University of Virginia’s Blandy Research Station; at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica; and at Harvard Forest LTER. Awareness of ecological research is stimulated by Environmental Biology Seminars that bring prominent ecologists to campus three or four times each semester. Environmental Biology Scholars receive a thorough training in ecology, evolution and organismal biology through courses at HU and through participation in a Field Ecology course taught by Dr. McKenna at Mountain Lake Biological Station. Dr McKenna is currently mentoring research for four Environmental Biology Scholars; most of their research is being conducted at Blandy Field Station in Virginia.
The Environmental Biology Scholars have shown leadership on campus by organizing a SEEDS student chapter (Shelby Burks, Student Chapter Representative), and a student chapter of AIBS at HU (Gerald Bright, President; Tyra Pendergrass,Vice-President). Another Environmental Biology Scholar (Alexandra Sutton) is president of the HU Environmental Society. These societies have engaged in several outreach projects involving K-12 schools in Washington, DC, including participation as "near-peer" mentors for the EnvironMentors program, as presenters for "Science Discovery Day", and through organizing a science fair for an elementary school.
Other EBS mentors: Dr. Priscila Chaverri, Dr. George Middendorf, and Dr. Raymond Peterson.
EBS Students:
(click on the name to learn more about the students and their projects)
Portia Adams
Gerald Bright
Shelby Burks
Jennifer Daniels
Stephanie Day
Jamie Everett
Howard Hamilton
Tyra Pendergrass
Alexandra Sutton
EBS students' highlights:
The first cohort of five Environmental Biology Scholars recently presented their research at the NSF-sponsored HBCU-UP conference in Baltimore, MD and two students received awards for their oral presentations (Tyra Pendergrass, 1st Place Prize; Shelby Burks, 3rd Place Prize).
Shelby Burks won an award to present her research at the 2006 Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in Cairns, Australia.
Gerald Bright won Best Student Research Award at the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society meeting in Philadelphia, PA in March, 2006. Gerald Bright also presented his research at the 2005 Benthic Ecology meeting, and the 2006 Atlantic Estuarine Research Society meeting.
Stephanie Day won Best Student Research Award for College of Arts and Sciences at the HU Posters on the Hilltop Symposium in March, 2006.
Jennifer Daniels was awarded Howard University's Lucy Moten Scholarship in support for her research in Costa Rica.
This summer, four students have submitted abstracts to present their research at the 2006 Ecological Society of America meeting in Memphis, TN, and two students have submitted abstracts to present research at the 2006 Botanical Society of America meeting in Chico, CA. Five students will present their research at the American Institute of Biological Sciences meeting in Washington, DC in May, 2006.
All Environmental Biology Scholars are exploring graduate school programs in environmental biology. One student (Gerald Bright) will graduate in May 2006, and he will start graduate studies at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Science in the Fall 2006.