REU Site: Models in Evolution, Ecology and Systematics

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A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites award has been made to The University of Kansas (KU) that will provide research training for 10 students, for 10 weeks during the summers of 2013-2015. This REU program is supported by the NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO REU program). Located within the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the program focuses on the use of models in evolution, ecology and systematics. Students will participate in independent research projects with a faculty mentor. Projects vary greatly across the discipline and will be tailored to the student's strengths and interests in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Students will conduct full-time lab research as well as participate in seminars and various workshops, such as ethics training and responsible conduct in research, professional communication skills, career opportunities in industry and academia, and the graduate school application process. In addition, students will participate in field trips to KU and Kansas State Research facilities. REU students will have access to a rich array of individual mentor?s facilities as well as field sites, museum collections and core facilities such as the electron microscopy lab, DNA core laboratory, bioinformatics center and a genomics facility. Biology and mathematics students are encouraged to apply particularly students underrepresented in STEM fields and from undergraduate institutions or community colleges. Students are selected based on academic record, research performance, and potential for outstanding research in evolution, ecology and systematics. Students will be tracked to determine their continued interest in their academic field of study, their career paths, and the lasting influences of the research experience. Information about the program will be assessed by various means, including use of an REU common assessment tool. More information is available by visiting http://eebreu.ku.edu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Jennifer Gleason) or the co-PI (Dr. Mark Mort) at eebreu@ku.edu.