This REU Site award to the University of Nevada Las Vegas, located in Las Vegas, NV, will support the training of eight undergraduates for 10 weeks during the summers of 2014-2016. The goal of the program is to provide students with research opportunities that investigate mechanisms of evolution and reinforce the connection with genetics. Student participants will conduct research in topics that include genetic diversity of hot springs, conservation of genes affecting eye function, genetic effects on metabolism in flies, DNA repair and mutagenesis in stressed cells, genetic interactions that affect fly wing morphology, gene regulation of morphogenesis, host-microbe interactions, and biogeography of desert mammals. In addition, student participants will receive training in the responsible conduct of research, laboratory safety, applying to graduate school, and communicating results to scientists and the public. The program culminates in a poster session that provides students with an opportunity to present their results to a diverse audience of faculty, students, university administrators and the general public. This program aims to increase student diversity in the sciences. Students from underrepresented groups, first generation to attend college, and those from colleges with limited research opportunities are encouraged to apply. The program will be evaluated using the REU common assessment tool.
Students will enhance their skills in the lab and learn how science is done. It is expected that many will present the results of their research in regional and national conferences. Some will be able to publish their work in peer-reviewed literature.
Students are required to be tracked after the program and must respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available by visiting (http://faculty.unlv.edu/MoE/), or by contacting the PI (Dr. Kurt Regner at kurt.regner@unlv.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Eduardo Robleto at eduardo.robleto@unlv.edu).
