REU Site: Collaborative Research: Water Resources and Quality in the Riviera Maya, Mexico

这个REU网站将吸引学生在研究有关水资源管理问题在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛。理工科本科学生将与来自北伊利诺伊大学、东北伊利诺伊大学和尤卡坦科学研究中心的教师导师一起工作。学生项目将相互关联，并与该地区重要的地下水资源广泛相关。项目还将探讨这一重要资源如何受到人类活动的影响，重点是经济上重要的旅游业。更具体的研究领域包括地下水开采的影响，使用地球物理方法表征地下水系统，自然和人为对地下水化学的影响，地下水污染和对公众健康的影响，以及当地对尤卡坦地区地下水质量的看法。该REU网站的参与者的目标包括：发展实地和实验室的科学技能，发展水资源问题的全球视角，建立沟通技巧，以及发展对国际科学合作的认识。学生的项目将相互关联，以更好地了解尤卡坦在文化和历史背景下的水问题。由于该研究项目在墨西哥，并涵盖了文化方面，因此将吸引对该地区感兴趣的学生申请。除了开展研究，学生们还将为在线平台制作材料，与公众分享信息，在墨西哥向当地官员介绍研究成果，并在开放获取期刊上发表结果。通过这项工作，学生和教师将从多个专业领域着手工作，并解决有关水资源利用的基本问题。在为期八周的时间里，这个REU网站将为8名本科生提供高质量的研究环境和指导，否则这些本科生可能没有机会在国际背景下从事科学活动。夏季体验将分三个阶段进行。(1)参与者将在北伊利诺伊大学度过两周时间，在此期间学生将定义他们将在该领域进行的研究，参加道德培训，讨论尤卡坦文化与水问题之间的关系，接收安全和旅游信息，并与来自墨西哥的团队成员进行虚拟会面。(2)接下来的四周将在墨西哥进行实地数据采样和收集。参与者将留在当地社区，远离旅游区，以获得更深入的文化欣赏。在此期间，参与者将与墨西哥科学家和学生并肩工作。在最后两周，参与者将返回北伊利诺伊大学继续进行数据分析和合成。通过高质量的研究、国际合作、师徒关系的发展和身临其境的体验，该项目旨在增加在科学领域代表性不足的群体的代表性，同时也提供培训，将学生培养成高素质的科学家，为继续研究生学习或职业生涯做好准备。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This REU site will engage students in research related to water resource management issues in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Science and engineering undergraduate students will work with faculty mentors from Northern Illinois University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the Yucatan Center of Scientific Research. Student projects will be interconnected and broadly related to the important groundwater resources of the area. Projects will also explore how this vital resource is impacted by human activities with a focus on the economically important tourism industry. More specific areas of study include the impacts of groundwater extraction, using geophysical methods to characterize the groundwater system, natural and human-caused impacts on groundwater chemistry, groundwater contamination and impacts on public health, and local perceptions of the quality of groundwater in the Yucatan. The goals for participants of this REU site include: developing scientific skills in the field and laboratory, developing a global perspective of water resource issues, building communication skills, and developing appreciation for international scientific collaborations. The student projects will be interconnected to better understand the water issues in Yucatan within a cultural and historical context. Because the research project is in Mexico and encompasses a cultural aspect, students interested in the region will be attracted to apply. In addition to carrying out research, the students will produce materials for online platforms to share information with the public, make presentations in Mexico to local officials about the research findings, and publish the results in open access journals. Through this work, the students and faculty will approach their work from multiple areas of expertise and address fundamental questions about the use of water resources.During an eight-week period, this REU Site will provide a high-quality research environment and mentoring to a diverse group of 8 undergraduate students that may not otherwise have the opportunity to be engaged in scientific activities in an international context. The summer experience will take place in three phases. (1) Participants will spend two weeks at Northern Illinois University where students will define the research they will pursue in the field, participate in ethics training, discuss the relationship between culture and water issues in Yucatan, receive safety and travel information, and virtually meet the team members from Mexico. (2) The next four weeks will be spent in Mexico sampling and collecting field data. The participants will stay in local neighborhoods, away from the tourist areas to gain more in-depth appreciation for the culture. During this period, participants will be working side by side with Mexican scientists and students. (3) During the last two weeks participants will return to Northern Illinois University to continue with data analyses and synthesis. Through the combination of high-quality research, international collaboration, development of mentor-mentee relationships, and an immersive experience, the project aims in to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in the sciences, while also providing training to develop the students into high-caliber scientists who will be well prepared to continue in graduate studies or professional careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.