REU Site: Astrophysics and Planetary Science Research at Cornell University

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

Cornell University will host a summer REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in astronomy and planetary science. Each summer, eight students will spend ten weeks at Cornell engaged in research in Space Sciences. The program will strive to recruit diverse cohorts including students from underrepresented groups, students from colleges and universities with limited local research infrastructure, and students with unusual academic careers. Students will work within a small research group involved in groundbreaking science, attend a series of lectures and workshops, and participate in other activities that will introduce them to broader scientific topics as well as the nature of professional careers in astronomy and the processes by which major facilities and missions are designed, constructed, and deployed. The research and professional development programs will help students to understand the nature and ethics of scientific research and the skills and process necessary to become a professional scientist. Students will participate in on-going astronomy programs at Cornell including the Carl Sagan Institute, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) program, the Simulation of eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) collaboration, the CCAT-prime submillimeter telescope project, and the Spacecraft Planetary Imaging Facility. Cornell planetary scientists are actively engaged in the Cassini, Juno, Europa Clipper, Mars Science Laboratory and Mars Exploration Rover missions.