PARENT SESSION
Contributed Oral Session 68: Ecology Education II
Tuesday, August 9, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM, Meeting Room 521 A, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Forging cross-cultural ties in ecology: The NSF-CRUSA Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Costa Rica.

Gastreich, Karin^*,1, Anderson Olivas, Elizabeth¹, Stashko, Ed¹, Notman, Evan ², ¹ Organization for Tropical Studies, Durham, North Carolina, USA² US Forest Service, Arlington, Virginia, USA

ABSTRACT- We present the experiences, results and lessons of a 3-year multi-cultural Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program run by the Organization for Tropical Studies at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation and the Costa Rica-USA Foundation, ran from 2002 through 2004, providing rigorous research opportunities to a diverse group of 50 students from 31 colleges and universities (27 from the United States and 4 from Costa Rica). Minority participants from the United States were recruited through the efforts of a recruitment officer and an external advisory committee. Costa Rican participants were recruited from 5 major universities in Costa Rica. OTS also diversified the institutions and research interests represented by the mentors, with mentors from the United States, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Mentors assisted in selecting the students and guided them in all aspects of independent research, including project design, field work, data analysis, and final oral and written presentation of results. In addition to sharing living and working space at La Selva, Costa Rican and U.S. students interacted with each other and with international researchers in a variety of formal and informal events that facilitated scientific and cultural exchange. One of the most important was the ethics activity series, in which students considered issues ranging from data collection to the responsibilities of foreign ecologists working in the tropics. Participants are overwhelmingly positive in their post-program reviews of the experience. A recent survey revealed that the NSF-CRUSA REU has had an important impact on students professional and career decisions, with most former participants planning to attend or attending graduate school, and many former participants pursuing additional international experiences.

Key words: undergraduate education, tropical ecology, international research experiences, minority recruitment