REU Site: Interdisciplinary Research on Human Impacts in the Lake Champlain Ecosystem

University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College, Burlington VT

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to the University of Vermont (UVM), located in Burlington, VT, will support the training of 10 undergraduate students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2014-2016. This REU program is supported by the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO) and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). The program is focused on the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of habitat fragmentation, eutrophication, and invasive species on the Lake Champlain ecosystem. While participating in the program, students will work with the UVM and Saint Michael's College faculty on projects ranging from fish ecology to the impact of harmful algal blooms on human health and property values. To promote cross-disciplinary thinking, students will work in pairs, serving as assistants to each other in their respective, but distinct, research projects. In addition to research, students will attend workshops, seminars, and symposia on topics such as experimental design, basic statistics, effective communication, the ethical and responsible conduct of research, and careers in science. Students will be mentored on how to present research at conferences and how to write manuscripts for scientific journals. At the end of the summer, students will present their research results at a poster session. In addition, students will present a talk that ties their individual project into an over-arching view of the interactions among human activities, societal structures, and the lake ecosystem. The program will be evaluated using the REU common assessment tool. Applicants will be selected based on academic record, two letters of reference, and an essay that explains why the student is interested in the program and how it will advance his/her career. Rising first and second year undergraduates, members of under-represented groups, and students from institutions with limited research opportunities are encouraged to apply. The program will provide stipends, housing, and travel funds to and from the site. The team-based approach of this REU will foster interdisciplinary thinking and encourage collaborative problem solving in students at early stages of their career. This will enhance their capacity for deeper and broader critical thinking as they mature into independent investigators. Students are required to be tracked after the program and must respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available by visiting http://www.uvm.edu/~ecolab/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Jason Stockwell at jason.stockwell@uvm.edu).