Mission and Goals

The mission of the Center for Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Connecticut is to protect the diversity of life through education, training, and research in ecology, evolutionary biology, and systematics - disciplines that are the foundation of sound conservation practice.

The Center for Conservation and Biodiversity will promote education, training, and research in ecology, evolutionary biology, and systematics by:

• sponsoring graduate and undergraduate conservation internships with private conservation organizations and govermental agencies,
• providing fellowships for graduate training at the University of Connecticut,
• sponsoring an annual research award competition for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut,
• supporting an annual research award competition for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut,
• supporting graduate and undergraduate travel to professional meetings to discuss the results of their research with leading scientists from around the world,
• coordinating an annual workshop in conservation biology designed to bring the latest research advances to conservation professionals,
• sponsoring visiting professorships and lecture series at the University of Connecticut that bring leading scholars to campus to share their expertise and experience,
• coordinating interdisciplinary workshops in conservation biology that bring professionals together to explore the application of principles from many different fields to the solutin of particular conservation problems, and
• providing support for the maintenance of biological collections that are critical for the understanding of biological diversity.

In addition, the Center will promote public support for the conservation of biological diversity by:

• sponsoring a public lecture series designed to acquaint non-scientists with the diversity of live and the extent of human dependence on it and
• promoting public exhibitions that document the critical role that biological diversity plays in sustaining our quality of life.