REU: Interdisciplinary Approach to Coastal Processes and Hazard Mitigation

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

0244205 Cox This award funds a three-year Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at Oregon State University for ten undergraduate students each year for research opportunities in coastal processes and hazard mitigation. The program is designed as a ten-week summer experience. Research projects will be drawn from the intersection of coastal engineering, physical oceanography, and computer science, with a focus on coastal processes and the mitigation of natural hazards, particularly those caused by tsunamis and coastal storms. The program will, to foster student growth, conduct team research to solve complex problems; promote breadth and critical thinking through seminars on topics such as ethics and sustainable development; and promote collegial student-faculty and student-student relationships. Senior and junior faculty from three departments in two colleges at the university will serve as mentors for the students. The program seeks to help students gain confidence in their research abilities through overcoming the difficulties inherent in the research process. Students will be recruited from throughout the United States, with a special focus on attracting students from groups underrepresented in research fields in engineering.