REU Site: Integrated Watersheds from Urban Centers to Estuaries

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The proposed REU summer program will place students in faculty research programs organized around a theme of Integrated Watershed Science. The experience will include individual research within faculty-mentored groups and unifying activities in which student researchers will be immersed in the methods of other groups. The goal of this program is to encourage the development of young scientists who are interested in and capable of addressing the large-scale interdisciplinary questions that represent the future of modern environmental science. The specific objectives of this program are to: (1) involve undergraduates in hands-on, individual research projects that will train them in basic watershed science; (2) provide exposure to different scientific approaches and experimental scales, from molecular to organismal, community, ecosystem, and watershed; (3) introduce students to the presentation of scientific results to their peers and the public while underscoring the social and policy pressures surrounding water resources; (4) create awareness of career opportunities across the entire spectrum of science. The Environmental Science Institute (ESI) at UT-Austin can achieve these objectives as part of its ongoing Watersheds Initiative. This interdisciplinary initiative has linked faculty with strong watershed-related research programs in natural and social sciences and engineering. Nearly all of these faculty members have mentored a number of undergraduates as part of their research groups. A coordinated series of REU activities are planned including: individual research project development, connecting field experiences, frontiers of watershed science seminar series, professional development seminar series, social activities, a documentary film, and a final research symposium with oral presentations. The recruiting effort will emphasize individuals from groups that are underrepresented in science and attending colleges without strong research programs. The site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.