New REU Site: Sensory Ecology: An Integrative Approach

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A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites award has been made to the University of Cincinnati that will provide research training for 10 students, for 10 weeks during the summers of 2014- 2016. The program focuses on sensory ecology -- the study of how animals acquire and respond to information about their environment-- which integrates the experimental and mechanistic study of sensory processes with the conceptual approaches of ecology, evolution and behavior. The Department of Biological Sciences has 11 faculty in a new research focus area - Sensory Biology, Behavior and Evolution (SBBE) - who serve as mentors in a tiered multi- level mentoring program along with graduate students and post-docs in a team environment. There is a wide range of very interesting and exciting projects for the students, ranging from neurobiology to behavioral ecology. Students are expected to do full-time lab research as well as participate in seminars and various workshops, such as the responsible conduct in research, professional communication skills, career opportunities in industry and academia, and the graduate school application process. REU students have access to a rich array of individual mentor's research facilities as well as many interdepartmental labs and centers such as the UC Chemistry department, and collaborating institutions such as Cincinnati Zoo Center for Research on Endangered Wildlife, UC / Cincinnati Children's Hospital Biomedical Research Center and the UC Center for Field Studies field station. The program's multi-phase recruitment effort consists of both traditional "hard copy" formats as well as digital-based advertising, and visits to regional college campuses. Students are selected based on academic record, research performance, and potential for outstanding research. Students are 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 available to BIO-funded REU PIs. More information is available by visiting http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/biology/undergrad/REU.html, or by contacting the PI (Dr. George Uetz at george.uetz@uc.edu).