REU Site: Regional Atmospheric Chemistry: State-of-the-art Measurement and Modeling in the Pacific Northwest

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

Abstract

This is a renewal of the REU site at the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (LAR) at Washington State University (WSU), which for many years has successfully engaged undergraduate students in research activities involving atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and climate change. Ten students will be recruited each summer, targeting underrepresented communities in the Pacific Northwest (including Northwest Indian College and Columbia Basin College) and students funded through WSU's Undergraduate Research Opportunity (URO) program. During the 9.5-week program, students will participate in several half-day workshops focusing on atmospheric chemistry, measurement and modeling techniques, data interpretation, and scientific communication. In parallel with the workshops, students will be trained on the specific research tools required for their individual projects and will conduct these projects under the mentorship of faculty and graduate students. The individual projects will be part of LAR externally-funded research programs that focus on current problems in atmospheric chemistry. The summer will culminate with poster presentations at the WSU Undergraduate Research Symposium. The focus on atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and climate change will foster the participants' appreciation for the importance of interdisciplinary and collaborative research. It will also encourage some students to pursue graduate school opportunities and careers in an environmental field. By targeting underrepresented groups outside WSU, the REU renewal will help increase diversity both within the program and across broader engineering and scientific disciplines. Before, during, and after their summer at WSU, REU participants will be interviewed to determine how their views of research were affected by the program. This assessment of the program's impact on participants' beliefs and perspectives regarding scientific research will contribute to the broader education community and also help guide future REU programs nationally.