REU Site: A forest full of Big Data: the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology 2015-2019

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This REU Site award to Harvard University's Harvard Forest is supported by the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) and the Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). The REU program, located in Petersham, MA, will support the training of 12 students for 11 weeks during the summers of 2015- 2019. Research will focus on collecting, visualizing, analyzing, and communicating ecological "Big Data". Students will be mentored by researchers who are conducting innovative forest ecology research. The program aims to meet five overarching objectives: 1) Enhancing the ability of students to undertake high-quality interdisciplinary research; 2) Building teams of researchers in which students bring different strengths to the table, collaborate on cutting-edge projects, and find their own intellectual "voice"; 3) Encouraging students to link fundamental and applied issues in science; 4) Communicating research findings to a wide range of audiences; and 5) Cultivating the next generation of ecological scientists and educators that reflects the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of students in the United States. The Harvard Forest REU program actively recruits students from a broad spectrum of cultural, economic, educational, and ethnic diversity. The Harvard Forest's commitment to diversity was recognized with the 2014 Human Diversity Award from the Organization for Biological Field Stations. Over the next five years, the program is committed to enhancing diversity and cultivating the next generation of scientists. It is anticipated that a total of 60 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present their results at scientific conferences. Students participating in collaborative groups are fully involved in the development and execution of projects on the cutting edge of ecological research. Students are also encouraged to develop independent projects that reflect their own interests and observations. Students participate in workshops on ethics, scientific writing, and presenting and analyzing data.Students maintain contact with Harvard Forest so that the impact of the Summer Research Program on their career progress can be assessed. Demographic data about students are collected through responses to emails sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available by visiting http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/other-tags/reu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Aaron Ellison at aellison@fas.harvard.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Andrew Richardson at arichardson@oeb.harvard.edu).