REU Site: Plant Biology & Conservation Research Experiences for Undergraduates - From Genes to Ecosystems

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This award to the Chicago Botanic Garden will provide a ten-week research training for 10 students, during the summers of 2012-2014. The theme of this REU site is plant biology and conservation, spanning from genetic to ecosystem levels of inquiry. Faculty mentors include scientists drawn from the host institution plus Northwestern University and other area institutions. Students conduct research in plant evolution and systematics, pollination biology, rare-plant conservation, invasion biology, soil and microbial ecology, restoration ecology, biogeochemistry, climate science, and related disciplines. Projects typically involve both field and laboratory work. Students also participate in professional development activities, including a group collaborative research experience, workshops on scientific ethics and graduate school, field trips to the Field Museum and Morton Arboretum, training in scientific communication, and presentation of results at a public symposium. The REU program is integrated within a training continuum that includes pre-collegiate students, other undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, providing opportunities for REU students to serve as co-mentors to younger students and learn firsthand about graduate school. REU use laboratories equipped for research in ecology, soil science, genetics, reproductive biology, GIS, microscopy, population biology, geochemistry, isotopic analysis, and other areas of investigation. Students are recruited nationally through a variety of outlets and are selected based on academic record, past accomplishments, and research potential. Special efforts are made to attract students who lack extensive research opportunities at their home institutions and/or from groups traditionally underrepresented in the biological sciences. Students are tracked to evaluate the effects of this research experience on their future academic and career paths. Information about the program is assessed through follow-up surveys, including use of an REU common assessment tool. More information is available by visiting http://www.cbgreu.org/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Daniel Larkin at dlarkin@chicagobotanic.org) or co-PI (Dr. Jeremie Fant at jfant@chicagobotanic.org).