FY 2025 mcintire-stennis project project title: cultivating diverse scientists through faculty mentored research participation abstract southern university (SU) is the only historically black…

FY 2025 mcintire-stennis project project title: cultivating diverse scientists through faculty mentored research participation abstract southern university (SU) is the only historically black university in the nation that offers urban forestry graduate degree programs, therefore SU is uniquely poised to achieve the diverse societal engagement that others might not be able to accomplish. The project goal is to cultivate diverse scientists through faculty mentored research participation to achieve research and training objectives that algin with the mcintire stennis cooperative forest research programs' research priority areas. The funding will support the urban forestry faculty and students in carrying out the research and training that can result in enhanced research capacity and workforce preparedness of the diverse students. The application of research findings in education programs will elevate the urban forestry graduate programs to a new height. To accomplish the goal, the faculty-student team will achieve six research and training objectives: 1. Incorporate climate smart strategies to increase tree canopy cover through urban forest assessment and tree planting; 2. Assess climate change impacts on water resources and mitigation strategies; 3. Manage forested wetlands to improve flood prevention and wildlife habitat; 4. Evaluate urban forest UV mitigation potential; 5. Protect natural resources against invasive species; and 6. Utilize geospatial technologies to improving ecosystem resiliency. We plan to achieve each objective by a faculty-student team who will conduct research under a set of research topics that are designed to accomplish that objective. A faculty member will serve as research mentor, lead a particular objective, and provide training to a team of graduate students who will be awarded the graduate assistantship to participate in the research topics. The major products will be the research results of the faculty and student teams, such as database, research articles, theses, capstone reports, dissertations, abstracts, and presentations. The measurable outcomes include number of publications, graduate student enrollment, retention, graduation, and placement. Graduate students from diverse background are the major target audiences/trainees. Target audiences also include faculty, staff, and scientists in urban forestry and natural resources disciplines; professional organizations such as society of american foresters, international society of arboriculture, society of municipal arborist; public and private sectors in urban forestry, forestry and natural resources; 1890 institutions, universities with forestry and natural resource programs; and federal and state research stations.