FSML Proposal: Graduate Student Housing at the Louis Calder Center 

A grant of $202,697 has been awarded by the National Science Foundation to Fordham University under the direction of Dr. John D. Wehr for partial support of year-round housing for graduate students conducting research and participating in field courses at the Louis Calder Center - Biological Field Station.  Co-principal investigators are Dr. Jim Lewis and Dr. Amy Tuininga, faculty members in Biological Sciences at Fordham.  Matching support has been provided by Fordham University.  The station’s current lack of year-round student housing has created a population of graduate students that either can afford the very expensive housing in the NYC region, or must devote up to several hours each day commuting, instead of learning.  Our solution is to construct three 1,300 sq. ft. log cabins, each of which can accommodate four students, year-round.  The cabins will be located on the station property within walking distance of research laboratories, the ecology library, and field sites.  The site is also adjacent to most of the necessary services, including roads, electrical service, and water supply. 

This project specifically aims to improve training and educational opportunities for graduate students by enabling closer access to field-based research.  A number of important research and educational advantages will be achieved by this funding.  The building of cabins at the station will mean that Fordham can now support students who previously had not been able to work here, and provide students with training in greater depth, with more "on-the-spot" studies that make field stations special institutions for learning.  Student housing at the station will have a number of significant, broader impacts.  The new facilities should enhance the university’s recruitment efforts for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who wish to work at the station.  In particular, we will be better able to attract those who may not be able to afford the very high costs of housing.  Students with lesser financial means will be able to participate in field biology for perhaps the first time, and make Fordham more competitive for top-quality graduate students. 

This winter (2006) a site plan is being completed and bids have been requested for cabin designs, electrical upgrades, new wells, and other necessary utilities.  The Director intends to break ground in late spring of 2006 with assembly competed within one year.  Once completed, this new on-site housing will help Fordham students by offering a much reduced commuting time and by creating a larger, more stimulating community of resident graduate students, faculty and other resident scientists. 

The Calder CenterSummer Undergraduate Research Program in Ecology and Field Biology - NSF Award

Fordham University was awarded $324,471 for four years from the National Science Foundation to continue the Calder Summer Undergraduate Research (CSUR) program from 2006 through 2009.  The CSUR-REU program selects 10 students from a national applicant pool, including at least one Fordham student, to study each summer in a 12-week, intensive hands-on curriculum based at the biological field station of Fordham University, the Louis Calder Center.  The program director is Dr. John Wehr, and co-director is Dr. Jim Lewis, both faculty members in Biological Sciences at Fordham.  The program is designated as an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site, and is part of a network of institutions nationally that offer undergraduates paid research internships. 

The central focus of the CSUR-REU program is for each student to plan and conduct their own independent research in some area of field biology or ecology.  In 2005, one project by Steven Samuels, a student from Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA, was recently awarded first place honors (oral papers, Plant Biology and Ecology) at the annual HBCU-UP National Research Conference.  Many REU students studying at Fordham have continued in their studies by enrolling graduate programs.  Student successes such as these result from broad training in field sampling and experimental design, integrated with cutting-edge laboratory techniques such analytical chemistry, molecular genetics, and large-scale mesocosm experiments.  This experience can be the first opportunity for many urban students to examine the natural world scientifically first hand.  

Students will be selected based on (1) statement of interest, (2) academic experience and training, (3) prior research experience, and (4) faculty recommendations.  Applications from students minority groups underrepresented in science, smaller colleges with limited research opportunities, and/or students from urban environments are encouraged to apply.  As the only biological field station in the NYC region offering ready access to relatively undisturbed communities, we are well positioned to offer students in the NYC region an opportunity to conduct independent, field-oriented research projects that complement and underscore the research and training experiences these students receive at their home institutions.  We have established collaborations with several local colleges with the aim of involving more students from urban and under-represented groups in ecology and field biology. 

Students interested in applying are encouraged to contact Dr. John Wehr (wehr@fordham.edu) or the Calder CSUR-REU office at 914-273-3078, ext. 10 (email: REUatCalder@fordham.edu) for information and application forms.  Students may also find information about our faculty, the field station, descriptions of research topics, and application forms online at: http://www.fordham.edu/calder_center/calder-center/CSUR-Program.html