This program provides research experience for undergraduates (REU) in Earth systems science by offering them with opportunities to work in interdisciplinary groups on problems that reflect a complex, real-world situation. Students will be trained in the development of portable, reliable sensors and deployment of sensors capable of acquiring environmental observables and data and use the data in the studies of climate and weather modeling and their social and economic impacts. Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to observe research collaborations between scientists and engineers working to develop and evaluate sensors for detecting volatile organic compounds, deployable water sensing with miniaturized Raman spectrometers to understand how aerosols are transferred to surface waters to predict and understand water health, MEMS-based atmospheric sensing, and improving resolution from a constellation of small satellites for space-based measurements. They will be trained in computational techniques used in climate and weather models. They will investigate the inherent tradeoffs between environmental protection and economic growth, as well as the intricate balance between law and its impact on the reduction of greenhouse gases and attitudes toward climate change
The modern workplace is highly interdisciplinary. Graduates entering the workforce require a much higher level of skills across different disciplines Recruiting and retention of students in STEM areas can be facilitated by enhanced interdisciplinary education and research since students are strongly attracted to research with societal relevance and show increasing enthusiasm about problems that have practical consequences. This approach can enhance student learning outcomes and prepare students for the complexity of real world issues. This undergraduate research program exposes students to interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving by the use of existing national lab, industry, and university partnerships to provide cutting-edge research, educational, and professional development opportunities for undergraduate students and opportunity to work with members of different academic departments in an interdisciplinary setting. Students will develop skills in: technical oral communication, technical writing, research ethics, analytical analysis, numerical analysis, statistical analysis, hardware development, and effective communication across different disciplines. The site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.
