REU Site: Biodiversity Science in the Summer Systematics Institute at the California Academy of Sciences

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This REU Site award to the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), located in San Francisco, CA, will support the training of 8 undergraduate students for 8 weeks during the summers of 2014-2018. During the program, students will work with CAS scientists on research projects on biodiversity. Given the abundant resources of the museum, it can support research projects on the systematics, phylogenetics, and biogeography of a diverse range of organisms including extinct human ancestors, spiders, turtles, birds, fish, ants, marine invertebrates, and plants. By conducting an independent research project, students will be trained in a range of research techniques. Depending on the nature of the particular project, students may gain experience with light and scanning electron microscopy, molecular phylogenetics, and/or next-generation sequencing technologies. In addition, students will receive lectures on systematic biology, take educational tours of the facility, and participate in community-building activities. Students will also learn about the ethics of collections-based science, responsible conduct of research in a museum setting, appropriate data collection and archiving, and informed attitudes towards preserving the world's biodiversity. Furthermore, students will develop oral communication skills through the process of preparing a presentation of their research findings, which are highlighted in a symposium at the end of the program. In conjunction with educators, CAS has developed program assessment tools that provide feedback on every aspect of the program and will also employ the common assessment tool for BIO REU Sites. Interested students are encouraged to contact prospective mentors before applying since shared interests between the mentor and student are a key component of the application process. Letters of recommendation, a statement of interest, and academic performance are also used in the selection process. The program places particular emphasis on attracting students from groups that are under-represented in the sciences. The CAS REU program hopes to foster in its participants a long-term interest in science by promoting scientific engagement that extends beyond the program's end. Specifically, student participants will be encouraged to present their research at domestic and international scientific conferences.Students are required to be tracked after the program and must respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available by visiting http://research.calacademy.org/opportunities/ssi, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Rich Mooi at ssi-bi@calacademy.org).