The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), a consortium of over 110 research universities and institutions dedicated to monitoring the Earth and exploring its interior through the collection and distribution of seismological data, will provide up to 12 undergraduate students per year with research experiences as part of its 9-11 week internship program. Through this program, students will take part in an intensive week-long preparatory course, and work with leaders in seismological research, in both lab-base and field-based settings, to produce research products worthy of presentation at large professional conferences. Given that the Consortium is a collection of institutions, the program employs a distributed REU model that has been demonstrated to bond students into a cohort, despite conducting their research at geographically distributed sites. Some elements of this model include: an emphasis on the acquisition and analysis of seismic data to help address broader Earth science questions, an orientation week to build the cohort through shared experiences, a cyber-infrastructure to nourish group cohesion while enabling peer-learning and collaboration, the opportunity to reconnect face-to-face and become integrated into the intern alumni network while presenting research at a large professional conference, and an Alumni Mentor to provide experienced, consistent support throughout the entire summer.
Not only does this program develop seismological knowledge through intern research, this unique REU model has the opportunity to contribute to the growing body of knowledge regarding the application of cyber-infrastructure for distance learning, community building, and the implementation of the skills associated with metacognition. The success, documentation and dissemination of this model, will also enable other organizations to apply geographically distributed resources to the development of their human capital. Additionally, this proposal presents an opportunity to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in the study of seismology. IRIS continues to work closely with minority serving institutions and professional organizations to raise awareness of the study of seismology as a potential career path.
