This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports the renewal of a successful Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech) for the summers of 2008-2010. This site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program in the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI). The program will be organized and managed by Michael Pullin from the Chemistry Department at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. The project will provide twelve undergraduate students with research experience for 9-weeks in a cross-disciplinary study of environmentally related topics that span the fields of chemistry, biology, Earth sciences, and environmental sciences. Recruitment plans will specifically target Hispanic and Native American students and students from schools that lack large, Ph.D.-level research programs. A collaborative partnership has been developed between New Mexico Tech and four minority-serving regional two and four year institutions in New Mexico: Dine College, San Juan College, Northern New Mexico College, and New Mexico Highlands University. Several field trips are planned to expose the participants to the rich scientific, cultural, and historical heritage of New Mexico. The program will end with a final research conference where each research group will give an oral presentation on their project.
The award supported a program called Interdisciplinary Science for the Environment. This summer program brought an average of 13 undergraduate college students per summer to New Mexico Tech, a science and technology-focused public research university. Under the direction of New Mexico Tech faculty, these students conducted innovative research on environmental topics that crossed the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. The program focused on students from colleges without research opportunities, on students from colleges and universities from the American southwest, and on students from underserved populations. The program lasted for 9 weeks each summer, beginning with a week of workshops on environmental science topics, continuing with 8 weeks of full time research, and concluding with a daylong research conference. Many of the students in this program presented the results of their research at the annual meetings of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. The program was successful in its goal of attracting students from underrepresented groups (64% of participants) and students from schools without significant research facilities (69% of participants). Additionally, 64% of participants were female. Evaluation of the participants’ attitudes before and after the program indicates that the program was successful at increasing their understanding of science research as a career and their willingness to pursue such a career. Evaluation the participants’ current academic and career status indicates that they are indeed pursuing those careers. 73% of the participants who are now eligible for graduate and professional school are now enrolled in those programs. The remainder of the participants are currently employed in careers related to their majors or continuing to pursue their undergraduate degrees in science or engineering. 4 out of the 5 students pursuing Associate’s degrees who participated in the program are now pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in science or engineering fields and one is continuing to pursue his or her Associate’s degree.
