A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site award has been made to Michigan State University, providing research training for 10 students during the summers of 2013-2015 focusing on the Integrative Biology of Social Behaviors. Participating students will receive 10 weeks of hands-on research experience with projects involving a wide range of model organisms (rodents, carnivores, birds, lizards, salamanders, fish, insects, and digital organisms) and levels of inquiry (molecular, cellular, systems, individuals, populations). Twelve faculty members in the departments of Fisheries and Wildlife, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Zoology will serve as mentors. In addition to their research work, students will benefit from weekly journal clubs and research presentations from the mentoring faculty; will participate in modules related to research ethics, statistics, laboratory safety, applying to graduate school, and careers in the biological sciences; and will participate in outreach activities at a local nature center. At the end of the program, students will present their activities at a university-wide undergraduate research symposium. These activities will sharpen the students' critical and scientific thinking skills, provide a unique opportunity to gain experience with laboratory and field research methods, and help prepare the next generation of researchers studying the biology of social behaviors. Undergraduates entering their junior or senior year will be recruited through personal contacts and by mailings and emails targeted to institutions that can provide the most diverse pool of candidates. Students will be selected based on academic record, any previous research experience, letters of recommendations, and potential for outstanding research in behavioral biology. Students will be tracked in part via Facebook to determine their continued interest in their academic field of study, their career paths, and the lasting influences of the research experience. Assessments of interns and participating faculty members will be comprised of a REU common assessment tool (Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment) and other questionnaires, as well as one-on-one interviews that assess interns' topical knowledge in the field, their sense of community, and their knowledge about professional development. More information is available at www.msu.edu/~ibsb, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Joseph Lonstein at lonstein@msu.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Heather Eisthen at eisthen@msu.edu).
