The theme of this three-year REU Site program is "Sustainable Solutions to Emerging Environmental Problems." With new technological and scientific advancements combined with increasing population and limited resources, environmental problems become more complex and inter-connected. These problems may require technological and/or social solutions that provide for economic, social and environmental sustainability. Examples of emerging environmental problems are: 1) the predicted end of oil; 2) climate change; and 3) human and ecosystem impacts of emerging pollutants. In an effort to respond to the need for solutions to these emerging environmental problems, this REU Site program theme incorporates three main areas of research: Alternative Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction; Fate and Transport of Emerging Pollutants; and Political, Social and Ecological Responses to Emerging Environmental Problems.
The objectives of this REU site are as follows: 1) to motivate students to continue on to graduate school and successful careers in science and engineering,2) to recruit traditionally underrepresented students and provide these students with the opportunity to conduct independent research in environmental engineering and science in a supportive and challenging environment , 3) to advance multidisciplinary approaches to solving emerging environmental problems through cross-disciplinary training in hypothesis-driven research methods and experience in applied research, and 4) to teach students how to communicate their research to colleagues and the general public through professional oral presentation, peer-reviewed publication, and the media. In addition to the hands-on research experience students will participate in seminars, field-trips and social activities.
This program will aim to increase recruitment of underrepresented students through contacts at colleges with large minority populations and collaboration with other on-campus programs.
Clarkson University's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site program in environmental sciences and engineering is currently in its 14th year. The objective of the Clarkson REU program is to engage a diversified pool of undergraduate students in first-class research in environmental topics. For the 2008-2010 program (NSF 0755345), 40 undergraduate students pursued environmental research over three summers to address emerging environmental and sustainability problems. Recruitment was national, with an increasing applicant pool ranging from 100 to over 250 per year for the 2010 program. The program incorporated three main areas of research: Alternative Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Fate and Transport of Emerging Pollutants, and Political, Social and Ecological Responses to Emerging Environmental Problems. In addition to the seven students supported from the NSF grant every summer, there were ~33 % participants funded from faculty supported research. 15-18% of participants have been from the underrepresented minority groups and more than 60 % have been females. Thus far, approximately 50% of the past participants from the Clarkson Site Program have attended or are attending graduate school. Two of the participants have received NSF Graduate Research Fellowships and one participant has received a Fulbright Scholarship for graduate study abroad. Based on results from our previous REU site awards and responses from students on the surveys, we expect that more than 75% of the participants will attend graduate school. The program activities were designed to widen the educational pipeline in science and engineering and motivate students to continue on to graduate school and successful careers in science and engineering. Specific activities included: (1) the research project, (2) emerging environmental problems seminars; (3) research and communication tools seminars, (4) presentation at a University-wide research symposium, (5) graduate student panel and (6) community-building activities. Although the research project component was the primary focus of this program, the field trips, seminars, and social activities provided the students with a broader academic experience. The areas highlighted by the student’s participants to be the strengths of the program were: the experience of conducting research, the opportunity to meet peers and mentors, and the introduction to graduate school. In addition to learning how to conduct and complete a well-designed and substantive research project, the program also emphasized the importance of communicating research results. All participants wrote a research paper and participated in a University Research Symposium. In 2009, all 12 REU student participants have presented their research at the Northeast American Chemical Society conference. For two consecutive summers, a research experience for teachers (RET) component has been added and four RET fellows have participated in the program activities including: the research project, field trips, seminars and research presentation. Participation of the RET fellows in field trips and special projects and integration in a research project team have ensured cohesiveness among the RET/REU fellows and enhanced their appreciation for belonging to a diverse group. The RET fellows have been associated with the Clarkson K-12 Project-Based Learning Partnership and STEM Programs. This partnership has been highly successful and greatly valued by the participants. A project based module based on the summer experience has been incorporated by the RET fellows in their classroom during the academic year and posted on the Clarkson K-12 website. Participants completed a comprehensive written survey before and after the program, which we used to evaluate the success of the REU site program at meeting its stated objectives, and to quantify participant satisfaction. They also participated in an evaluative focus group discussion with an outside assessor. Students identified the research project as the most important aspect of the program, with communicating research experience and results and going on field trips/retreat as the second and third most important. An important objective of the Clarkson REU program was to encourage and motivate students to pursue graduate school and research careers. Participants felt better prepared to make an informed decision about graduate school, specifically mentioning that the experience would help them select a field of study. Overall, through the survey, student participants reported strong satisfaction with the program, their mentor, and their colleagues. In summary, based on our assessment results, the Clarkson REU program has been successful in meeting its objectives: 1) to widen the educational pipeline in science and engineering; 2) to serve traditionally underrepresented students; 3) to develop students’ ability to solve emerging environmental problems; 4) to train students to effectively communicate scientific research and 5) to disseminate the research/.educational activities throughout the educational hierarchy. Students participating in the Clarkson REU program valued research, the importance of research for the environment and the importance of sustainability research very highly from the beginning of the program. Those attitudes were maintained through the end of the ten week program. Most of the students were interested in pursuing graduate school and re-iterated that intention at the end of the REU program.
