A Unique Opportunity for 10 Undergraduates

Doing ecological research in China is a genuinely unique opportunity to explore a country in depth. Each summer, we will run a field course in ecological genetics in China where students will apply their knowledge of genetics and ecology in real-world field studies. We will travel throughout China, to areas where tourists rarely venture. And since we are generously supported by NSF, this opportunity is available to 10 U.S. undergraduates at very low cost! We will select at least ten students each Fall from a nationwide competition.

Of course, students will need to be prepared to take full advantage of this experience. Each spring semester, undergraduates will enroll at the University of Georgia and take 3 courses: CHNS 1008: "Intensive Elementary Mandarin Chinese" and CHNS 1009: "Chinese Culture through Language." Fundamentals of spoken and written Chinese will be taught by Dr. Myhre using materials with topics and vocabulary specially developed for our partner institutions and their locales. The course will be designed to provide basic language and cultural skills, with special emphasis on the culture of science in Chinese universities. Although we do not expect students to acquire deep language skills in one semester, we will be able to provide students sufficient grounding in language and culture that once in China they will be able to negotiate basic situations such as taking buses, ordering meals and handling dorm room assignments.

In addition, we will teach a lab course, GENE 4800L: "Ecological Genetics of Invasive Species." Here, students will learn genetic techniques that we will apply to the study of a target invasive species. We will include field trips modeled after courses taught through the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), with focused exercises that give students an introduction to the habitat, experience in the design and execution of experiments, and in writing up and presenting their results.

All these courses are taught by the PIRE faculty: class size is small and students will receive focused attention.

Selected students must be enrolled at UGA for the semester to participate in the courses. For non-UGA students, the University has a special transient student status that easily allows this enrollment. You will receive a transcript for all academic work, although you should check with your academic adviser to make sure that such credit wil transfer to your home university. The University of Georgia has determined that all courses specifically taken as part of this program will charge in-state tuition. If you are an out-of-state student, you will pay in-state rates for all the summer courses, as well as for the 3 spring semester courses taken at UGA. We can also help arrange housing for non-UGA students for the spring semester.

Those who successfully complete the mandatory courses will participate in the trip to China.

In May, we head to our home base, Nanjing University, one of China's most prestigious universities, for an 8-week experience where you will visit biological communities throughout China. Dr. Myhre will build on the language foundation established in the U.S. Two of the U.S. faculty will always accompany students on these field trips, along with faculty and students from our partner institutions. Once the 8 weeks in Nanjing are completed, students can join the lab of one of our Chinese senior personnel for 3 weeks, where they will continue genetics training.

Costs