An award has been made to the College of Charleston that will provide research training for 10 students for 10 weeks, during the summers of 2011 - 2013. This project is also supported by the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) in the Directorate for Geosciences. The Program focuses on the multidisciplinary theme of Marine Organism Health: Resilience and Response to Environmental Change, investigating the impacts of climate change, natural disasters, pollution, and coastal development. There is a wide variety of research projects available to students, ranging from marine organisms at the individual level, to the community and population levels. REU students are expected to do full-time lab research as well as participate in seminars, field trips and various workshops, such as responsible conduct in research, communication with professional, educational and public audiences, and the graduate school application process. REU students are expected to live on-site in the dormitory of the Grice Marine Laboratory at the Fort Johnson Marine Resources Center. They have access to a wide array of laboratory and field equipment both within individual mentor labs and shared facilities of the federal and state laboratories at Fort Johnson. The program's multi-phase recruitment effort consists of both traditional mailings and flyers, digital-based advertising and personal contacts. Participants are selected based on outstanding academic and personal achievement, on the potential benefits of the research experience to them, and on the diversity that the student brings to the group. Students are tracked to determine their continued interest in science and math disciplines, their career paths, and the lasting influences of the research experience. Information about the program will be assessed by various means, including use of an REU common assessment tool. More information is available by visiting www.coc.edu/reu or by contacting the PI (Dr. Lou Burnett at burnettl@cofc.edu) or the Co-PI (Dr. Karen Burnett at burnettk@cofc.edu).
