The Millersville University Center for Environmental Sciences (MUCES) will host an REU Site program for an intense but rewarding research experience for undergraduates. The objective is to offer a 10-week research program in environmental sciences to 8 undergraduate student participants who will work directly with Ph.D. experts in a variety of environmental science fields including biology, meteorology, geography and chemistry. Students will be recruited nationwide with special focus on minority and underrepresented populations such as non-traditional students and pre-service teachers. Faculty mentors will work intensively with each REU student on individualized research projects that are part of on-going research programs focused on a common theme: Watersheds, From River to Estuary. In addition, mentors will work with each student on developing their writing and communication skills that will be utilized to produce a research paper for publication in a variety of scientific journals as well as potential presentation at regional and national scientific meetings. Funding will be available for some students to attend and present at meetings. Besides research, students will participate in a variety of activities ranging from an environmental biology workshop in the 1st week that will take them from headwater streams in the county to the estuary surrounding the Marine Science Consortium at Wallops Island in Virginia, to weekly seminars and workshops on topics such as scientific writing, ethics and careers in science. Through this undergraduate mentoring program, MUCES will be able to reach out to those students who will make up the next generation of ecologists, conservation biologists, teachers, environmental planners, and environmental policy advocates. More information is available at www.millersville.edu/~ces/ or by contacting Dr. Dominique Dagit at Dominique.Dagit@millersville.edu or 717-872-3420.
