REU Site: Integrative Biology and Ecology of Marine Organisms

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site award has been made to the University of Washington that will provide research training for 10 undergraduate students per year, for 8 weeks during the summers of 2013- 2016. The program focuses on the biology and ecology of marine organisms, using an integrative approach. Activities will occur at the Friday Harbor Laboratories on the San Juan Islands, where 33 faculty members with active research programs will mentor the REU students. There is a wide range of very interesting and exciting projects for the students. Students will spend three weeks developing an independent project and five weeks collecting data and will then formally present their results. In addition, they will participate in seminars, attend "meet the faculty" lunch groups, and receive training in various career skills through 2-hour workshops every week. These activities will be supplemented with team-building experiences, including hikes, whale-watching, and sea kayaking. REU students will have access to a rich array of individual mentor's facilities and will share lab, dining, and living spaces with a wide variety of biologists of all career stages. The program's recruitment effort consists of both traditional, hardcopy formats as well as digital-based advertising. Students are selected based on academic record, research performance, and potential for outstanding research in biological research. Students are tracked to determine their continued interest in their academic field of study, their career paths, and the lasting influences of the research experience. Information about the program will be assessed by various means, including use of an REU common assessment tool available to BIO-funded REU PIs. More information is available by visiting http://depts.washington.edu/fhl).