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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF281

Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology Alumni Survey 2013-2015

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Data

Overview

  • Lead: Aaron Ellison
  • Investigators: Manisha Patel, Andrew McDevitt
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: 2006
  • End date: 2015
  • Status: completed
  • Location: Harvard Forest
  • Latitude: +42.53 degrees
  • Longitude: -72.19 degrees
  • Elevation: 340 meter
  • Datum: WGS84
  • Taxa: Homo sapiens (human)
  • Release date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.281.4
  • DOI: digital object identifier
  • EDI: data package
  • DataONE: data package
  • Related links:
  • Study type: long-term measurement
  • Research topic: historical and retrospective studies
  • LTER core area: disturbance patterns
  • Keywords: education, surveys
  • Abstract:

    Program Context

    Since its inception in 1985, when a single undergraduate worked on a study of old-growth forests, the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (HF-SRPE) has developed into a thriving and well-coordinated program that is central to the educational and research mission of the biological field station. With core support since 1993 from a succession of NSF REU Site awards and NSF REU supplements, and with additional funding from Harvard University, HF-SRPE has grown to support 20-30 undergraduate students annually. Students are mentored by principle investigators and senior scientists in conducting research in ecology, soil science, paleoecology, wildlife biology, conservation biology, and atmospheric sciences.

    The research conducted by our HF-SRPE students contributes substantially to long-term scientific investigations supported by NSF’s Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) – Earth Ventures (EV) programs, The Smithsonian Institution’s ForestGEO network of plots, and Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Institute for Global Environmental Change (NIGEC). The overarching objectives of the program are to: enhance the ability of students to undertake high-quality interdisciplinary research; build teams of researchers in which students bring different strengths to the table, collaborate on cutting-edge projects, and find their own intellectual “voice”; encourage students to link fundamental and applied issues in their research; and cultivate the next generation of ecological scientists and educators that reflects the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of students in the United States.

    Problem Statement

    Starting in 2005 the National Science Foundation (NSF), as one of the largest funders of undergraduate research programs, began emphasizing the use of project evaluations to both qualitatively and quantitatively measure the success of REU programs (Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Supplements and Sites: Program Solicitation NSF 05-592, 2005). One objective of this initiative, reaffirmed by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, is to track the success and outcomes of REU participants. Section 514 of this Act requires that “student participants are tracked, for employment and continued matriculation in STEM fields, through receipt of the undergraduate degree and for at least 3 years thereafter”. Due to the long term mission of Harvard Forest and the HF-SRPE, we are actively tracking the success of participants for a minimum of 10 years following their participation in the program.

  • Methods:

    In 2012, we developed a simple 15 question survey to track where HF-SRPE alumni were in their academic and professional careers. The survey link was administered each fall through a regularly updated alumni email listing as well as on the private HF-SRPE Facebook page. All questions were optional and based upon their answers, participants were asked to skip to certain questions. In 2015, revisions were made to the survey to make the format more user friendly and to encourage more meaningful responses from participants. We also provided an easier mechanism to link participant’s confidential responses to other personal data (with their consent) collected about their summer program experience.

    To ensure confidentiality of participant responses, all open-ended responses have been removed from this dataset.

  • Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

  • Project: The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. (ROR).

  • Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

  • Use: This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

  • License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

  • Citation: Ellison A. 2023. Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology Alumni Survey 2013-2015. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF281 (v.4). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/3901addcd63d77aedafa2bfd924b73cb.

Detailed Metadata

hf281-01: REU survey questions

  1. question.code: question codes as they appear in data file hf281-02-REU-survey-answers-since-2006.csv
  2. question.text: survey questions that correspond to each question.code
  3. question.type: type of survey question
  4. data.type: type of data generated by survey question
  5. code.0: value for each survey question when answer=0
  6. code.1: value for each survey question when answer=1
  7. code.2: value for each survey question when answer=2
  8. code.3: value for each survey question when answer=3
  9. code.4: value for each survey question when answer=4
  10. code.5: value for each survey question when answer=5
  11. code.6: value for each survey question when answer=6
  12. code.7: value for each survey question when answer=7
  13. notes.2015.update: notes, 2015 update
  14. notes.2012.2014: notes, 2012-2014 surveys

hf281-02: REU survey answers

  1. year: HF-SRPE program year
  2. alum.q1: I have read the information in this consent form. All my questions about the research have been answered to my satisfaction.
    • 0: I do not consent to this study
    • 1: I consent to this survey however I would not like my responses to be included in the long-term study
    • 2: I consent to this survey and to link my responses to the long-term research study
  3. alum.q4: What year did you participate in the Summer Program?
  4. alum.q5: Have you completed your undergraduate degree?
  5. alum.q6: Where are you in your undergraduate studies?
    • 1: Freshman
    • 2: Sophomore
    • 3: Junior
    • 4: Senior
    • 5: 5th year senior
    • 6: I am taking a break from my undergraduate studies
    • 7: I do not plan on returning to my undergraduate studies
  6. alum.q7: What year do you anticipate graduating college?
  7. alum.q8: How important was the Harvard Forest Summer Program in shaping your current short term career goals?
    • 0: Not Applicable
    • 1: Not at all important
    • 2: Low importance
    • 3: Slightly important
    • 4: neutral
    • 5: Moderately important
    • 6: Very important
    • 7: Extremely important
  8. alum.q9: How important was the Harvard Forest Summer Program in shaping your long term career goals?
    • 0: Not Applicable
    • 1: Not at all important
    • 2: Low importance
    • 3: Slightly important
    • 4: Neutral
    • 5: Moderately important
    • 6: Very important
    • 7: Extremely important
  9. alum.q11: What year did you graduate college?
  10. alum.q12: What degree did you receive?
  11. alum.q13: From what department did you receive your [undergraduate] degree?
  12. alum.q14: Are you currently attending or have you completed graduate school?
  13. alum.q15: Opting out of Undergrad Education questions
  14. alum.q16: Are you currently attending or have you completed graduate school?
  15. alum.q17: What year do you anticipate graduating graduate school?
  16. alum.q18: What degree(s) are you pursuing or have you earned in graduate school?
  17. alum.q19: From what department will you receive your degree?
  18. alum.q20: How important was the Harvard Forest Summer Program in shaping your current short term career goals?
    • 0: Not Applicable
    • 1: Not at all important
    • 2: Low importance
    • 3: Slightly important
    • 4: neutral
    • 5: Moderately important
    • 6: Very important
    • 7: Extremely important
  19. alum.q21: How important was the Harvard Forest Summer Program in shaping your long term career goals?
    • 0: Not Applicable
    • 1: Not at all important
    • 2: Low importance
    • 3: Slightly important
    • 4: neutral
    • 5: Moderately important
    • 6: Very important
    • 7: Extremely important
  20. alum.q22: Outside of traditional graduate school revenue sources (e.g. teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships) are you currently employed?
  21. alum.q23: What year did you graduate graduate school?
  22. alum.q24: What degree(s) did you earned in graduate school?
  23. alum.q25: From what department did you receive your degree?
  24. alum.q26: Are you currently employed?
  25. alum.q27: Opting out of Graduate Education questions
  26. alum.q28: Are you currently employed?
  27. alum.q29: In which sector are you employed?
  28. alum.q31: How important was the Harvard Forest Summer Program in shaping your current short term career goals?
    • 0: Not Applicable
    • 1: Not at all important
    • 2: Low importance
    • 3: Slightly important
    • 4: neutral
    • 5: Moderately important
    • 6: Very important
    • 7: Extremely important
  29. alum.q32: How important was the Harvard Forest Summer Program in shaping your long term career goals?
    • 0: Not Applicable
    • 1: Not at all important
    • 2: Low importance
    • 3: Slightly important
    • 4: neutral
    • 5: Moderately important
    • 6: Very important
    • 7: Extremely important
  30. alum.q33: Do you use your ecology/environmental background in your job?
  31. alum.q34: Opting out of Employment questions