REU site: Field Experience in South Texas coastal dynamics

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract: 0754750 This award provides funding for a new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at University of Texas at Austin. The program will support ten students each summer during a ten week summer research program. The program will emphasize coastal dynamics, including natural variability and human-driven change. Projects will take advantage of the wide temporal and spatial variations in environmental characteristics along the south Texas coast. REU students will be widely recruited from across the U.S, with a focus on recruiting students from the Hispanic majority population in Texas and from historically minority-serving institutions. During a 10-week summer program, students will: 1) participate in a two-day research cruise along the south Texas coast; 2) develop independent research projects; 3) attend weekly research seminars and professional development discussions; 4) curate individual web pages; and 5) present their research results at a symposium hosted at the Institute. This proposal is supported by the entire faculty of the Marine Science Institute, which has a long history of undergraduate training, through its educational programs and involvement in NSF-sponsored undergraduate research initiatives.