REU Site: Berkeley SETI Research Center

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

This is a renewal of a 10-week summer REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) Site program serving 8 student interns per year at the University of California-Berkeley SETI Research Center (BSRC). Research topics are drawn from astronomy, astrophysics, electrical and mechanical engineering, and computational science and unified under the aegis of Breakthrough Listen, a 10-year, $100 million project to dramatically expand the search for intelligent life beyond Earth. Participants will attend weekly one-hour lunch meetings that will address communication and outreach skills, job prospects, interview skills, and strategies for research success, including the mitigation of stereotype threat and imposter syndrome. The project has an external assessment program for continuous monitoring and evaluation of project milestones, including regular feedback from the evaluation study on the extent to which the project is meeting its goals. The project will recruit participants from minority serving institutions (MSI) nationwide and will strengthen connections to the California Community College system, including Berkeley City College and Laney College in Oakland. They will actively recruit women, first generation college students, and underrepresented minorities (URM). Applications will be considered holistically, giving appropriate emphasis to enthusiasm and dedication rather than judging on GPA alone. The project will make efforts to ensure that interns feel welcome and integrated into the BSRC team. 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.