REU Site: Experience for Undergraduates in Satellite and Ground-Based Remote Sensing at NOAA-CREST

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Through participation in this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the New York City College of Technology (affiliated with the City University of New York), each year a total of 10 carefully selected students will be paired with established University and government scientists and demonstrably contribute to real-world research projects in the Earth Sciences. This urban campus has a longstanding and close association with NOAA's Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center (NOAA-CREST), and is thus particularly well suited to outreach that will encourage and enhance involvement of underrepresented groups in the sciences. Students will be selected and assigned to a specific university faculty member and/or NOAA researcher as their chief mentor. Following an appropriate orientation and with the benefit of occasional workshops focusing on various aspects of the scientific research process, each student will work over a 15-week period on an established mentor-led research project. Additional guidance from graduate students already working in their chosen sub-disciplines will provide further near peer-level mentorship to encourage the students' scientific growth and success. Through hands-on participation in field data collection activities, scientific conferences and visits to nearby research centers, emphasis will be placed on connecting participating REU students with established scientists, including minority members of the research community, in a variety of settings. Students will formalize their work via both written reports and oral presentations, and select participants will be given the opportunity to share their results at appropriate symposia and conferences.Intellectual Merit: Participants will contribute to increased knowledge and understanding in basic science as well as applied research topics. Activities will encompass a variety of sub-disciplines, but will in particular take advantage of collocation with NOAA-CREST to expose students to cutting-edge remote sensing techniques critical to accurate observation and increased understanding of the Earth system. This REU Site will contribute significantly toward NSF's established goal of creating an internationally competitive and appropriately engaged public and, over the long term, enhance the quality of the academic scientific workforce.Broader Impacts: By virtue of entraining and supporting a rich variety of students drawn primarily from the highly diverse demographic of the New York City College of Technology, this program will desirably enhance both near-term educational and long-term career opportunities for members of groups that have historically been underrepresented in the sciences. It will also contribute to the further enrichment of graduate students and future educators, and serve as a model for other programs of this type.