REU SITE: Systematics and Evolutionary Biology for the 21st Century

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This REU Site award to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), located in New York, NY, will support the training of 8 undergraduate students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2014-2018. The theme of the REU program is systematics and evolutionary biology. Students will be mentored by the museum's scientists and curators and will conduct research aimed at elucidating the evolutionary history of groups of organisms. The vast resources available at AMNH make many innovative research projects possible. For example, projects that explore the evolution of jungle leeches, malarial parasites, extinct predators, and hermaphroditic sea anemones will be offered. In the process of collecting and analyzing data, students will be trained in a range of scientific methodologies, including morphological scoring, DNA sequencing, computed tomography, massively parallel next-generation genomics, and computational phylogenetics. In addition to the research experience, students will attend weekly lectures, educational tours of the museum collections and other relevant field trips, and learn the importance of ethical and responsible scientific conduct. At the end of the program, students will write a report and give a short presentation on their research accomplishments. To assess program success, the BIO REU common assessment tool will be used. The program intends to assemble a diverse cohort of students by attracting participants from across the country, as well as locally. Selection of applicants is based primarily on the applicant's potential, rather than academic scores, and the program places particular emphasis on recruiting students from minority groups that are currently under-represented in scientific fields. Students may apply online through www.amnh.org/REU/. Since matching applicants to appropriate mentors is essential, communication with prospective project mentors in advance is encouraged. During the program, students will complete a "broader impacts" project in which they communicate scientific ideas and the importance of basic scientific research to a lay audience. This experience will teach students the importance of outreach to educate the public. Participants are required to be tracked after the program and must respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program can be found by visiting www.amnh.org/REU/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Mark Siddall at siddall@amnh.org) or the co-PI (Dr. Susan Perkins at perkins@amnh.org).