Sulkin, Stephen/Western Washington Univ. Proposal #: 05-51898
This award provides renewed funding for a REU site at Western Washington University,s Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC) located in Anacortes, WA. The program will provide support for eight student internships each summer for five years. The students will participate in a nine-week independent research program and will receive a weekly stipend, food allowance, housing on-site, and travel to and from SPMC. Students will be recruited nationwide, with special attention given to the recruitment of minority students. Students will be mentored by faculty at SPMC and will be encouraged to conduct research related to the theme of living resources and processes of the local coastal environment. Students will complete a written report and give an oral presentation of their research. The program provides students with exceptional access to the coastal and marine environment of the Pacific Northwest. Over the duration of the award, a total of 40 students will have an in-depth independent research experience and receive training that will help them succeed in scientific careers.
PI: Stephen Sulkin Awardee: Western Washington University The Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site program at Western Washington University’s Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC) provided undergraduates throughout the United States with an opportunity to learn the research process under the advisement of a marine scientist faculty adviser and to carry out an independent research project. During each of the five years of the program (2006-2010), eight students were in residence at SPMC for a nine-week period during the summer. During the first two weeks of the program each summer, students were introduced to the local marine environment and to the field and laboratory investigative tools and techniques that marine scientists use in research. Each student met frequently with his/her faculty adviser and learned the process of developing a specific research project, with an emphasis on defining objectives that are significant, build on past research, and can be accomplished during the time available. Students then carried out the experiments and/or observations, with frequent oversight by the faculty adviser. The last two weeks of the program were dedicated to data analysis and development of written and oral reports, culminating in a scientific presentation that simulated a scientific conference. Additional learning activities during the course of the summer included development of oral presentation skills, use of a variety of research tools, weekly informal meetings with faculty, an ethics workshop, and a workshop on application processes for graduate school. Although specific projects varied from year to year, topics typically included life cycle studies of ecologically or commercially important marine species, food web interactions that influenced the abundance of specific species and the productivity of local marine systems, effects on local species of exposure to ocean acidification conditions or pollutants, and factors that produce red tides or sea weed blooms. During the five-year period covered by the project, a total of 554 applications were received for the 40 available positions, with the applicant pool generated from an average of 86 different colleges and universities each year. Successful applicants were chosen based on adequate college-level coursework, grade point average, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the home institution, and, most importantly, a statement from the applicant describing his/her interest in pursuit of a career in marine science and interest in learning about the research process. An outcomes assessment process invited student interns to comment on the quality of various aspects of the program and on its impact on their education and career choices. Such feedback is assessed annually with an eye toward improving the program.
