The University of Arizona will be holding a 10-week Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program this summer in environmental and Earth system sciences at Biosphere 2 (B2 http://www.b2science.org/earth/outreach/reu). Students will participate in a variety of activities that will help them pursue a career in environmental sciences. Students will conduct their own research under a mentor, interact with other participants and scientists, and present research findings in a formal symposium setting. A unique part of the B2 REU experience will be the opportunity to interact with the public who visit B2 on tour and to obtain training in outreach related to their research topics. Additionally, students will participate in professional development workshops, an ethics in science workshop, and field trips to local attractions. Students in their Sophomore or Junior years from a wide range of disciplines and interests including biology, ecology, plant sciences, hydrology, soil science, geology, atmospheric science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, or computer science should apply. Students from underresprented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for this NSF funded program. Research at Biosphere 2 aims to catalyze interdisciplinary thinking and understanding about the Earth, its living systems, and its future. Students in the REU program will conduct research in the Earth system and environmental sciences that examines some facet of soil-water-atmosphere-plant interactions. Improving understanding of these interactions is important in gaining insight into the impacts and causes of global environmental change and variation. Key to research at B2 is the use of methods and techniques that allow linking across scales. Additionally, some REU projects will be conducted in partnership with the southwestern Critical Zone Observatory (http://www.czo.arizona.edu/). Projects will focus on a variety of topics that include (but arent limited to): coupling ecohydrology and biogeochemistry, investigating abiotic and biotic contributions to ecosystem processes, integrating measurements across scales, using innovative tools to link climate and ecological function, and modeling of ecosystem and soil processes.
Students will receive: stipend, lodging at Biosphere 2s student village, food allowance, travel to and from Tucson, AZ Applications are due February 29 2012, and application material can be found at: http://reu.b2science.org/
