REU Site: Earth Systems Research for Environmental Solutions

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Biosphere 2 Earth Systems Research for Environmental Solutions (B2-REU) gives students the opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary environmental and Earth systems science research and connect their work to existing environmental challenges and solutions, thereby increasing research relevance and student motivation. This 10-week summer REU site will foster the scientific career development of students coming from groups underrepresented in science, including minority and 1st generation students, and undergraduate students from universities with limited research opportunities. The B2 setting, along with nearby field sites and support laboratories, provides a unique environment to excite students about research and future careers in science, while the strong team of faculty mentors ensures that students are exposed to state-of-the-art research, learn current techniques, and create important connections in the scientific community. To complement the research, students participate in weekly research-seminar discussions with University of Arizona scientists; professional development activities, such as public speaking and graduate school workshops; and outreach training. Students learn to communicate their research to the thousands of B2 visitors. The summer culminates in a student undergraduate research symposium. Students are also supported to share with the scientific community by presenting at a professional meeting of their choice following the summer experience. Student projects take advantage of the B2 research infrastructure, allowing for a high degree of control at large scales, and the NSF Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) and other field sites in the Sonoran desert and sky-island mountains around Tucson to improve our understanding of Earth systems. Questions like how water moves through the critical zone, how ecosystems respond to environmental variation and anthropogenic change, and how physical and biological elements of systems are integrated are answered using knowledge from many disciplines, including hydrology, geology, geochemistry, ecology, biology, physics, engineering, and atmospheric sciences. Through active research, students learn first-hand how model and real world systems are used to generate scientific understanding. The program trains the next generation of scientists to tackle environmental issues with the necessary skills that bridge disciplines and with the ability to communicate research findings to the public and policy makers.