This grant will fund the continuation of a productive REU program led by Dr. Eastwood at Northern Arizona University. The program will host seven students for ten weeks each summer and will offer the students research projects in a variety of disciplines. Projects will be available in astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, and astrogeology. PhD mentors for the students will be recruited from various institutions in the Flagstaff area including Lowell, NAU, the US Naval Observatory, and the US Geological Survey. Although the students will spend most of their time working on their research projects, there will be ample opportunities for them to attend seminars given by the Flagstaff research community and to participate in field trips planned to various research sites. The stated objectives of this project are to provide the participants with a publishable research project, a supportive environment, explicit career mentoring, and colleagues for life.
The very nature of an REU site results in a broader impact, in terms of educational activities. As noted above, the programs stated goals include aspects of Broader Impact for the student participants including providing a supportive research environment and career counseling. This program has a particularly good post-participation tracking program. Of the 155 program alumni since 1991 58% are female and 26% of the alumni now hold PhD degrees.
