REU Site: Research Experiences in Experimental Marine Biology

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This REU Site Program is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program. It is hosted by the College of Charleston and held at the Grice Marine Laboratory at the South Carolina Marine Resources Center, Charleston, SC. The ten-week summer program combines formal classroom work with independent research in areas of crucial concern for marine biologists today. Student research projects employ classical as well as modern physiological, cellular and molecular techniques to address questions in areas such as species diversity, adaptation to environmental change, environmental bioindicators, conservation genetics and marine forensics. Faculty mentors and instructors are drawn from among more than 100 Ph.D. scientists whose primary appointments lie in the Medical University of South Carolina, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Ocean Service and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. In addition to providing students with an opportunity to conduct independent studies guided by a faculty mentor, the objectives of the program are (1) to engage students directly in discussing graduate school and career options in basic and applied sciences, (2) to show students the interdisciplinary nature of science and (3) to teach students to think critically. Program participants are selected on the basis of outstanding academic and personal achievement and on the potential benefits of the research experience to the student. Participants are required to live on-site in dormitories at the Grice Marine Laboratory. Although focused primarily on completing their research, students also participate in a 1-credit Special Topics course, which provides a structured format of lectures, journal clubs and activities centered around topics of current concern in marine biology. Under faculty guidance, the students learn to communicate the results of their work in oral and written formats and discuss issues related to graduate school and pursuit of a career in the sciences. Applications from interested students, especially those from under-represented minority groups, are encouraged. More information as well as an application form are available at www.cofc.edu/~reu or by contacting the Program Director, Dr. Louis E. Burnett, at (843) 953-9200 or BurnettL@cofc.edu.