REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Archaeological and Museum Conservation Science at the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute

Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual Merit: The Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) has established an REU program that provides exciting and challenging research experiences for undergraduate students in the interdisciplinary fields of archeology and museum conservation science to help them prepare for future careers in science. The program serves to enhance traditional classroom education that lacks a 'hands-on' component with mentored laboratory research in one of seven MCI project areas. Students engage in aspects of ongoing research projects or propose their own unique project. In so doing they acquire basic laboratory skills and an in depth understanding of the scientific method under the immediate supervision of a staff mentor. Students receive training in professional presentation and career and graduate school selection, and are included, as appropriate, in co-authored peer-reviewed publications and professional presentations at scientific meetings. Students are selected from a pool of highly motivated undergraduate applicants with an emphasis on under-represented minorities. MCI is a a well established and diverse institute with the infrastructure, staff, and resources capable of supporting this program. All MCI mentors have experience providing undergraduates with research opportunities and an infrastructure to recruit and process student interns is already in place through the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies. Broader Impacts: The fundamental goal of this program is the education and training of undergraduate students who utilize their unique interdisciplinary experience at MCI to achieve graduate degrees and establish themselves as professional scientists. Students are placed with a staff mentor according to their mutual interests and participate in all aspects of a project including planning, execution of analyses, data analysis, and formulating conclusions. Students contribute their results to a peer-reviewed publication and are assisted in pursuing graduate appointments. Insofar as all student interns are enrolled in external universities, this program establishes partnerships with institutions across the country and provides their students with hands-on laboratory experience in an established research group. Applications are solicited through the NSF REU Sites website and the larger Smithsonian Internship Program. Several established minority programs within the Smithsonian Institution provide additional venues to recruit underrepresented groups of young scientists.