An REU Site for Undergraduate Research Training in the Geosciences

Carnegie Institution Of Washington, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Undergraduate students participate substantively in the research of a scientist at the Broad Branch Road campus of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, which includes both the Geophysical Laboratory and the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. The program is designed to bridge the gap between education and research, showing that both are essential to advancements in science, and are two parts of the same process. Students see tangible benefits from the hard work of science, among these the sense of accomplishment from an intellectual endeavor done well, while working directly with a leading scientist and participate first-hand in the excitement of scientific discovery using state-of-the-art techniques and facilities. Research projects in the geosciences (experimental petrology, mineralogy, mineral physics, seismology), planetary sciences and astronomy, and related chemical sciences (inorganic and organic geochemistry, cosmochemistry) are available. Prior to beginning research, students become familiar with the literature of their research area and prepare a short research proposal in consultation with their advisor. During the research phase of the summer program, students and their advisors work together in close collaboration. At the end of the summer, students prepare a research paper utilizing the format of a leading journal in their field describing the results of their work, and present the results to their peers and the research staff at a special symposium held during the last week of the program. Students are encouraged to submit the results for presentation at a professional meeting, and/or use the results as part of a senior project, and to maintain contact with their research mentors to further the work done during the summer. With the broad range of research directions available at Carnegie, students can be exposed to a full range of disciplines in the geosciences through seminars, group meetings, and interactions among their fellow students. Primary criteria for selection are scholarship, personal motivation, scientific potential as judged by student references, and a good match of student interests with available research programs. Recruitment focuses on reaching students from schools unable to offer a substantial research experience and students from groups historically under-represented in science. At Carnegie, we are well positioned to select highly qualified students from a variety of types of educational institutions, geographic locations and diverse backgrounds, all of which will add significantly to the vibrant intellectual activity that characterizes our campus. The site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.