REU Site: Community College Cultivation Cohort (C4)

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site is focused on recruiting community college students and providing them with technical experience and training that will assist them to obtain a STEM degree. While ~80% of community college students plan to get a bachelor's degree, only ~10% achieve this goal, mainly due to academic hurdles that include insufficient funds and insufficient professional development. Through this REU award, the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (CDEBI) will provide research opportunities for 24 (8 per year) highly motivated community college students interested in environmental microbiology. Students will participate in an 8-week residential program based at the University of Southern California. Working in select labs, these cohorts will learn DNA sequencing techniques, microbial culturing, light and electron microscopy, and analytical chemistry to fully characterize novel bacterial and archaeal isolates from marine environments of interest to C-DEBI. The students will be mentored individually by a scientist and a graduate student or postdoc, and they will benefit from group activities and multi-lab meetings. In addition to the research component, the program will provide professional development activities that focus on successful transfer to a 4-year university and the application procedures for admission to graduate school.