REU Site: Program in Climate and Space Science Observation (PICASSO) at the University of Michigan

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This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor will provide seven students, annually, with a hands-on exposure to this hybrid (observation, modeling) approach to scientific investigation. These students will have the opportunity to: (a) design and carry out a mentor-guided research project, (b) participate in a series of professional development activities, (c) develop skills in communicating science and research results to their peers and the general public, (d) learn from faculty and graduate students about the nuances of selecting, applying to, and succeeding in graduate school, and (e) develop a better overall understanding of the many facets of a career in STEM fields. Students will present their research results at an end of summer symposium, and will receive financial support to attend and present their work at a professional conference following the completion of the summer program. This REU site will seek to engage students from groups typically underrepresented in STEM disciplines in research from a broad range of atmospheric and space science disciplines, including climate science and adaptation planning, atmosphere-biosphere interactions, aerosols and atmospheric chemistry, air quality, space-based remote sensing, space-weather and planetary atmospheres. Improvements in our understanding of the atmospheric and space sciences rely on the use of both ground- and space-based observations. In addition to providing insights into many complex environmental processes and trends, these observations can also be used to evaluate the performance of regional/global climate models, ecosystem-level models, and space weather models, each of which represent our best theoretical descriptions of these processes. These observations and models are used to protect human health and welfare in a number of ways, ranging from aiding in the development of adaptation strategies to protect community infrastructure in a changing climate, to allowing for the prediction of the timing and intensity of solar storm interactions with our atmosphere, which have the potential to impact communications and our nation's power grid. Through the introduction of the students to topics such as measurement design, quality assurance and control, data analysis and presentation, model development and evaluation, and assessment and communication of scientific uncertainties, this project will seek to produce scientifically and ethically responsible future scientists, while improving the overall self-efficacy of these students regarding their continued participation in STEM fields.