This award supports the creation of an REU Site in computational astrophysics at the University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC). Students will principally be recruited from Hartnell, Cabrillo, Monterrey Peninsula and De Anza Community Colleges, where the main selection criteria will be outstanding academic accomplishments and promise of future achievement. The selected interns will work closely with mentors at UCSC and will take part in an intensive eight-week introduction to astrophysical research methods and tools with an emphasis on cosmological simulations. The overall goal of the program is not to solely train astrophysicists but to utilize astrophysical simulations as an exciting medium for imparting a broad array of scientific skills to the participants.
The REU Site will also increase the retention and graduation rates for students enrolled in two-year colleges through inquiry-based learning of concepts related to astronomy and planetary sciences, using state-of-art astrophysical simulations as a common pillar. Through a comprehensive program of research instruction, mentoring, workshops, and support programs at UCSC, students will develop additional skills to advance their educations and careers. The REU Site will also develop a Family Astronomy Night lecture series at the partnering diversity-serving institutions, with the dual aims of communicating astronomy to a wide audience, and ensuring that parents of REU students can support their child's academic success.
