REU Site: Research Experience in Plant Biology at the University of Louisville

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A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites award has been made to the University of Louisville that will provide research training for 6 students, for 10 weeks during the summers of 2013- 2015. The program focuses on plant biology, including plant genetics, development, genomics, molecular biology, ecology, biochemistry, and biotic and abiotic stress. The department of biology includes 5 plant biology faculty who will serve as mentors. Accompanying the research experience will be an extensive array of educational components, including lectures by participating professors, training in scientific writing and presentations, and a series of lectures and group discussions on scientific ethics. A "laboratory rotation" program will give students exposure to techniques and instrumentation used in other labs in the biology department, as will tours of core laboratories in molecular analysis and biological imaging. Weekly meetings, social gatherings, and joint activities with students in existing university summer programs in other disciplines will provide social interactions for interns among themselves, with biology department researchers, and with the broader campus community. The program is advertised nationally and broadly and is focused on schools with limited research opportunities and those serving large numbers of students from groups underrepresented in the sciences. Students are selected based on academic record and other signs of their potential as a scientist. Students are tracked and continually mentored after the program ends to ensure continued success in their scientific career. Assessment of the success of the program will be carried out in a number of ways, including use of the REU common assessment tool. More information is available by visiting http://www.louisville.edu/biology/REU, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Mark Running, mprunn01@louisville.edu).