A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites award has been made to Kent State University (KSU; with The Holden Arboretum (HA) near Cleveland) that will provide research training for 10 students, for 10 weeks during the summers of 2013 to 2015. The program focuses on terrestrial-aquatic linkages within urban-impacted environments. Student research will be conducted at several field sites around KSU and HA that are impacted to varying degrees by human activities such as urbanization, industry, farming, mining, and recreation. Early in the program, training and cohort activities will take place at both KSU and HA, including field trips and workshops that use active-learning exercises. Skills emphasized will include ethics training and responsible conduct of research, generating testable hypotheses, communicating science to diverse audiences, and involving non-scientists in research. Cohort activities will encourage students to work in teams, communicate, analyze the quality of their data, and archive data in a geospatial database. Students will then conduct research mentored by faculty with wide ranging expertise in terrestrial and aquatic ecology. These projects could include examining how human activities affect the flow of nutrients within and between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, change microbial community composition, or contribute to the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Weekly reading/discussion groups will bring participants and mentors together to further student-student and student-mentor interactions while fostering the communication skills necessary for a successful science career. Participants will be recruited from both U.S. colleges and universities and local two-year colleges (Cuyahoga Community College, Lakeland Community College, KSU's regional campuses) with a high proportion of students from underrepresented groups that often do not continue their education. Participant selection will occur based on student qualifications, statement of interest and recommendation letters. Participants will be tracked using a web page, blog and Facebook page and through followup surveys. Information about the program will be assessed by an external assessor and using an REU common assessment tool. For more information visit http://ecologyREU.kent.edu, or contact the PI (Dr. Patrick Lorch at plorch@kent.edu) or co-PI (Dr. Kurt Smemo at ksmemo@holdenarb.org).
