This proposal will be awarded using funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This award provides funding for an REU site to be located on James Island near Charleston, SC. The site will be under the direction of the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The South Carolina Minorities in Marine and Environmental Sciences (MIMES) program previously ran from 1989 to 2005 and was highly successful in promoting careers in science and research among undergraduate minority (primarily African-American) students. The objectives of MIMES program include: 1) involving minority undergraduate students in mentor-guided, independent research projects in marine and environmental sciences; and 2) providing minority students with role models and training in basic principles of marine and environmental science and scientific theory through seminars, classroom work, laboratory, and field experiences. The program will involve eight students in the MIMES 10-week summer research experience. Students will begin with problem development, carry out extensive literature reviews, conduct scientific research, and progress through to statistical data analyses. Finally, students will prepare written and oral technical reports to be presented to their peers and the scientific staff of the MRD. Students will be encouraged to participate in professional meetings following their summer research experience.
