REU Site: Atmospheric Science in the Gulf Coast Region at Texas A&M University
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abstract
The Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University will host thirty undergraduate students over a period of three summers to conduct research with faculty mentors and their research groups in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site. The Texas A&M Department of Atmospheric Sciences faculty and students conduct research across a broad range of atmospheric disciplines. The experience provides career enrichment and opportunities for students to explore research topics in the atmospheric sciences. The site offers an opportunity to study meteorology and atmospheric science topics especially relevant to the Gulf Coast states, including severe weather, numerical prediction, atmospheric chemistry, and climate.The primary objectives of this REU site are (1) to provide a high-quality scientific research experience and (2) to increase diversity in the population of students interested in and preparing for research careers. The program is designed to parallel the graduate research experience as closely as possible by embedding participants in research groups with graduate students and a faculty mentor. Weekly activities and meetings on individual and group research are supplemented with professional development and seminars on communicating, graduate and career opportunities, and on campus events with REUs in other fields. Special attention will be given to furthering students'' quantitative skills via individual mentoring, group tutorials, and small group workshops based on specific needs. Students will have opportunities to report their results in presentations on campus and at national conferences. This program makes a specific effort to recruit and include participants from smaller colleges and minority-serving institutions, partnering with institutions throughout the Gulf Coast region that serve historically underrepresented populations to help recruit a diverse pool of applicants.