This award is funded by the Divisions of Biological Infrastructure and Chemistry at NSF. The REU Site program at Rutgers University Camden campus will provide research internship for ten undergraduate students for ten weeks each summer. The students will work in close collaboration with their faculty mentors on independent research projects relevant to the New Jersey Pinelands, and the students will have the opportunity in the first two weeks of the program to use the lab facilities and to reside at the Pinelands Field station. The NJ Pinelands is a unique ecosystem with approximately 1.1 million acres, which has been given International Biosphere status. The goal of the program is to provide biology and chemistry undergraduate students with the opportunity to experience cutting-edge research over a wide range of various disciplines (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and emphases, in order to broaden students' perspectives on a research career in the sciences. This goal will be accomplished via interdisciplinary mentoring, the opportunity to work on independent research projects from experimental design to data collection and analysis, and via different workshops, for example, scientific writing for peer-reviewed journals, scientific ethics, women in sciences and environmental justice. Students who are admitted to the program will be supplied with a stipend, housing, meals and airfare. Under-represented minorities and students from colleges with limited research opportunities are particularly encouraged to apply. More information is available by contacting Heike Bucking at bucking@camden.rutgers.edu, or by visiting http://reu-pinelands.camden.rutgers.edu/index.html.
During the three summers of the REU program (1998-2010) we recruited 30 undergraduate students from 27 different colleges for a total pool of 216 applicants. The number of applicants to our program doubled between the first and third year. Of the 30 students 2 were Hispanic, 2 African American, 3 Asian American and 23 White. Each student was paired with a faculty mentor from either Biology, Chemistry of Physics departments and worked for 9 weeks on a research project. Only one student dropped out of the program. The initial week of student bonding occurred at the Rutgers Pinelands Field Station where the students learned about the history and ecology of the New Jersey pine barrens, an area with a unique history of conservation, occupying approximately one quarter of the area of the state. The students also had opportunities to meet students from another REU program focusing on marine ecosystems. During the 9 weeks of research students were expected to participate in weekly group meetings and seminars. During these events students presented their research plans and findings to obtain peer review. Faculty members introduced all students to specific items of equipment or specialized techniques with hands-on experience to expand the technical experience of the participants. Formal seminars on ethics and responsible conduct in research, women in science, environmental justice as well as right to know and radiation protection provided the students with additional information on the skills needed for research and issues that might arise in conducting research. All students conducted individual research projects and were expected to obtain and analyze results using statistically sound techniques. Not only did students present ideas for their research and preliminary findings during the weekly seminars, they completed a written report of their work in the form of a journal article and in final poster session that was reviewed by outside members of the university and judged. From the research conducted, 4 publications have either been published or are in review in peer reviewed journals and 6 posters presented at national or international society meetings co-authored by the students. Surveys were conducted of the students at entry to the program and at the end to assess the impact of the program on the student. Many students entering the program either had an interest in research or had not made up their mind. On leaving the program, most of the student said they were intending seeking graduate school positions, but a small number of students decided that their experience had convinced them that a career in research was not what they wanted to do. Fore example a recent survey of 11 students from the program, 6 were in or seeking graduate programs, 1 going to medical school with an option of doing research, 1 working in a microbiology analytical laboratory, 2 teaching in school or national parks and 1 deciding not to go into a research career.
