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

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program will educate early researchers in the exciting field of atmospheric chemistry, air quality and climate change. Students ranging from freshman to seniors will gain hands-on experience in research related to the field of atmospheric chemistry, and the program promotes the idea of interdisciplinary and collaborative research to encourage the participants to remain in a STEM discipline and pursue graduate school opportunities. The program will also broaden the diversity of participants to involve underrepresented students in engineering and science, including students from community colleges that do not have an opportunity to participate in research. Understanding complex atmospheric chemical processes requires simultaneous measurements from numerous instruments, and sophisticated numerical models to bring the data together into a coherent scientific product. This makes atmospheric chemistry an ideal topic for introducing undergraduates to the scientific linkage between measurements and modeling and to the collaborative nature of environmental research. Goals for the program include developing technical expertise in science and engineering areas within the context of atmospheric chemistry, and engaging students in authentic research activities that lead to scientific publications and presentations; helping students understand the broad scope of atmospheric research so they understand how their research fits within the broader societal context of climate change; developing oral and written communication skills; providing opportunities for students to learn about career and graduate school options; recruiting a diverse set of student participants; and providing opportunities for participants to engage in productive and meaningful social interactions with faculty and graduate students so that participants will develop positive and productive beliefs about STEM fields and graduate school. Ten students will be recruited each summer, targeting underrepresented communities in the Pacific Northwest. Workshops during the 9.5-week program, will train students in atmospheric chemistry, measurement and modeling techniques, data interpretation, and scientific communication. In parallel with these workshops, students will be trained on the specific research tools required for their individual research projects with faculty and graduate student mentors. The students will form part of a larger community of scholars on campus and showcase their research during a final campus wide poster session.