PARENT SESSION
Symposium 12: Integrating Scientific Research and Ecology Education
Organized by: M Krasny, C Brewer, and D Ebert-May
Wednesday, August 6. 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, SITCC Chatham Ballroom C.

The Research-Education Link: Looking toward the Future.

Huenneke, Laura ^*,1, ¹ New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

ABSTRACT- Academic ecologists in higher education have historically played an important role in introducing K-16 students to research (through undergraduate research participation programs, especially). However, the context for educational outreach and involvement for those ecologist faculty members is changing dramatically. Federal agencies and some private foundations have modified their definitions of target groups for participation in undergraduate research and internships. Awareness of the critical link between K-12 experience and college has led to increased pressure for outreach to K-12 teachers and students, a type of outreach for which many faculty are unprepared. The balance between research and teaching (including research mentoring and outreach) is shifting on many campuses, thanks to recent Carnegie reports and highly publicized moves by funding agencies. Agencies such as NSF have incorporated broader impact considerations into funding decisions, but have collected little information to evaluate those impacts. Finally, the financial crisis looming in many institutions today places constraints on relatively-expensive research and outreach programs. Speakers in this symposium present aspects of what we have learned in recent years about the impact and effectiveness of these programs, and identify key concerns. I outline some essential components that should be put into place to make involvement with education and research experience at these different levels a more viable and sustainable enterprise for research-active faculty.

Key words: education, research mentoring, faculty roles