USF CMS REU

Overview

** The Summer 2020 REU program has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic and the application period should reopen later for the Summer 2021 program. **

Important Information for CMS REU 2020:

When: 10 weeks over Summer 2020 (arrival May 17, departure July 25)

Where: University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL

What: Research Experience for Undergraduate with travel, housing expenses, and 6K stipend provided

Application Deadline: February 1, 2020. REU participants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States and be able to participate full-time in the ten-week summer research program, including all research seminars, professional development and graduate school workshops, weekend conferences, field trips, and teambuilding/social activities.  Apply here

Five undergraduate students spent ten weeks developing professional skills and studying marine science with mentors in five different disciplines as part of a 2019 Research Experience for Undergraduates program hosted by the USF College of Marine Science (CMS).

The students were selected by faculty members from five minority serving institutions (MSIs) who were invited to visit CMS for the Faculty Visitation Program in Fall 2018.  The goal of that program was to establish new research collaborations between USF and MSIs and to help increase student diversity at CMS. 

The objective of this REU supplement is to provide an interdisciplinary research and professional development experience that will encourage underrepresented minority students to pursue both graduate education and STEM careers.   Another goal of the NSF funded USF CMS REU program is to develop a PhD student pipeline, especially with students from other disciplines (engineering, computer science, mathematics, bio-med, etc.) who have historically not entered graduate programs in Marine Science.  Ana Arellano, who is directing the program by coordinating professional development workshops, lab tours, graduate seminars, a research cruise, and social/team building activities, also reviewed the applicants and matched their backgrounds with USF faculty members’ research.  David Naar, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (USF CMS), and Bernard Batson, Director of Diversity and Outreach (USF College of Engineering), have also been involved in developing this program as part of a Sloan Foundation designated University Center for Exemplary Mentoring. The five participating USF faculty members, Professors Tim Conway, Larry Dishaw, Xinfeng Liang, Brad Rosenheim, and Amelia Shevenell are training the students in marine chemistry, marine microbiology, marine physics, marine geochemistry, and marine geology, respectively.

CMS REU 2019 cohort

Name	Undergraduate Institution	REU Faculty
Tione Grant	University of the Virgin Islands	Timothy Conway
Angel Cedeno	University of the Virgin Islands	Xinfeng Liang
Alexis Peterson	Spelman University	Larry Dishaw
Jenelle DeVry	Xavier University of Louisiana	Brad Rosenheim
Richard Rivera	Medgar Evers College	Amelia Shevenell

Highlights from previous years

• 2019

Previous Projects – (list the REU research descriptions)