Background/Question/Methods Freshman research immersion classes have become popular in science programs to expose students to research early and help lower attrition rates. While these courses help provide students with exciting hands-on experience, they may be lacking in other important aspects related to student retention including cohort building, introduction to the college life, and mentorship. Place-based learning, the use of geographical location to engage students in their education and community, when paired with research immersion, can increase the efficacy of both for the retention of students in the sciences in one single course. The Urban Ecosystem course at Marymount Manhattan College is designed to immerse life sciences students in the ecology of New York City. Students learn about the environmental impacts of urbanization as well as the necessary technological solutions to those impacts. The course also facilitates the building a strong freshman cohort by providing support for their transition into college life. The course is multidisciplinary, incorporating creative modes of scientific inquiry and mentorship, harnessing New York City as a dynamic classroom and laboratory. Results/Conclusions The course contains two modules, a creative project with an urban ecology theme, and a self-designed scientific study to encourage students to engage in their surroundings empirically. In the creative module, called “Mannahatta to Manhattan”, students produced video blog showcasing the ecological history of NYC over the centuries. In this module students reflect on the ecological transformations caused by urbanization, identify the loss of ecological function, and envision ways that urban ecosystems can be improved in the future, connecting them to the New York City urban ecosystem. In the research study, “Pollinators in Washington Square Park”, students design and perform an observational study of urban insect biodiversity and flower choice in urban pollinator gardens. Both modules are supplemented with field trips to sites of ecological importance including parks, an urban green roof, a recycling facility, and a wastewater treatment plant. Throughout the course, students are guided by a peer mentor from the life sciences who provides both logistical and emotional support as they transition into college life. This course provides an example of an effective framework for combining a rigorous freshman immersion as well as provide them a toolset for success in college life.
