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INVESTIGATOR: Stone, W.; Wang, Y.; Howell, H. B.; Stallsmith, B.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY
4900 MERIDIAN STREET
NORMAL, ALABAMA 35762

STRENGTHENING THE EDUCATION PIPELINE FOR MINORITY WILDLIFE STUDENTS USING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, MENTORING, AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNI

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Minorities are severely underrepresented in aquatic and terrestrial wildlife biology fields. Recent demographic data collected by The Wildlife Society, the largest professional society of wildlife scientists and managers, reveal all minority groups compose less than 5% of the membership and that African-Americans compose less than one half of one percent (0.37%) of the membership, remaining the smallest ethnic group. The composition of members in the American Fisheries Society is similar (all ethnic minorities total 5.7% of the membership). Not surprisingly, only 2% of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's permanent workforce employees are African-American. There are many compelling reasons for the importance of cultural diversity in the fisheries and wildlife professions and workforce. The most important among these is that wildlife is owned in common by all of the citizens of the US. As a public resource, wildlife management must be responsive to our society's values and goals. Our US society is rapidly diversifying in ethnic composition. A scientific profession that fails to diversify will not survive, and the professional workforce that manages a public resource that fails to represent the values of society will likely become irrelevant in the decision-making process for that resource. Increasing cultural diversity in the wildlife profession and workforce will help ensure that decisions are representative of our society's desires for wildlife resources. Also, support for wildlife resources and management policies would extend from a broader political base if the profession and workforce are perceived by the public as representing their desires rather than catering to the wishes of a shrinking segment of our society. Issues affecting resources held in common, such as fish and wildlife, should be addressed by individuals representative of the general population. Minorities become, in effect, disenfranchised when they are not represented in the professional community that makes resource management decisions. Greater ethnic diversity would enhance the quality of wildlife management decisions because of the variety of knowledge and diverse perspectives available to resolve complex management issues. Multicultural groups invent more options and create a broader range of solutions than homogeneous groups. Cultural diversity is likely to be as important to survival of humanity as biodiversity is to survival of ecosystems. The public will be the ultimate beneficiary as fish and wildlife management decisions are made by a workforce that represents society's needs, wants and desires for its fish and wildlife resources.

OBJECTIVES: Goal: To increase the number of minority undergraduate students in wildlife pursuing graduate degrees Objectives: 1. Increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students in current fisheries minor and wildlife biology minor and fish and wildlife track of the Forestry bachelor's degree. 2. Enhance graduate research quality through research assistantships and teaching assistantships to fish and wildlife graduate students. 3. Improve quality of student learning by increasing experiential learning. 4. Enhance mentoring opportunities for students and professionals. 5. Strengthen current Fish and Wildlife curricula using student learning outcomes assessment. We expect to produce at least five presentations and a publication annually. Accomplishments will include enhanced (at least 10 students/class) enrollment in fish and wildlife courses at all program levels and increased transition (50% or more) of undergraduates into graduate schools. In addition, research productivity of graduate students and research experience of undergraduate students would be increased, and this would result in greater representation of minorities in research-focused STEM disciplines. Partnerships such as that currently with the Birmingham Sewer and Water Board will result in greater outreach and engagement (two events/year) of minority community stakeholders.