This award provides renewed funding for a REU site at the University of Southern Californias (USC) Wrigley Institute of Marine Science. The program will support eight student internships each summer for three years. Students will be recruited nationwide, with special attention given to the recruitment of minority students. The selected students will participate in a ten-week independent research program focused on Geobiology. They will receive a weekly stipend, food allowance, housing, campus health insurance fees and travel to and from USC. Portions of the program will be conducted at the Wrigley Institute on Catalina Island. Students will participate in a variety of seminars and workshops designed to help them prepare presentations and papers and succeed in graduate school. They will be mentored by faculty from USC and will complete a written report and give a final oral presentation of their research. This site will provide 24 students with an in-depth independent research experience and training that will help them succeed in scientific careers.
