Guiding Questions

The incubator project sought to investigate:

1. What do faculty and instructors need to know concerning careers in an evolving environmental biology field beyond academia?
2. What are the emerging faculty development needs at 4-year institutions as well as 2-year colleges that can empower faculty to effectively inspire, motivate and mentor new students into organismal and field science career pathways with an innovative mindset?
3. How do these changes align with the core concepts and competencies indicated in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology (AAAS 2009)?
4. What avenues are most appropriate and / or desirable for professional societies to promote training and career development opportunities for members and students?
5. What forms of exchange or synergies should be developed across the broad range of sectors among employers, higher education and professional societies to advance the NGC agenda

To inform participants, the incubator project:

1. Conducted scan of job ads for entry level positions in related jobs to analyze the most commonly sought skills for graduates with an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
2. Surveyed the chairs of Biology departments, undergraduate career development officers, biology faculty and faculty at the nexus of Mathematics and Biology.
3. Organized eight focus group sessions at collaborating disciplinary society and professional association meetings.