REU Site: Collaborative Research: Earth and Planetary Science and Astrophysics REU at the American Museum of Natural History in Collaboration with the City University of New York

Cuny Graduate School University Center, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides renewed funding for undergraduate students to conduct experimental, observational, theoretical, and computational research activities in earth science, planetary science, and astronomy at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. Up to eight students per year will be selected to perform research into topics ranging from meteoritics, to volcanology, to experimental or theoretical astrophysics. The participants will be rigorously trained and well-educated in the fundamentals of the scientific enterprise, and will receive valuable research experience in an active, immersive, and inclusive research and education environment. Although it recruits from a nationwide pool, this Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site particularly leverages longstanding collaborations between scientists in the City University of New York (CUNY) system and at AMNH. CUNY is a 269,000-student urban public university network whose students primarily come from communities underrepresented in science. The CUNY/AMNH partnership will therefore enhance the REU Site's ability to recruit students in urban, traditionally underserved populations. This Site continues to be the backbone of a highly productive “extended REU” of 30+ very diverse students working closely every summer at AMNH, drawn from CUNY and the local urban population. Aside from their primary research activities, REU interns will also participate in Museum programs; attend field trips, colloquia, and conferences to present research; and present their work in a scientific symposium open to the public. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.