March 19 - 21, 2014, Boulder, CO
This meeting brought together leaders of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) from more than 65 universities and organizations across the nation to share best practices, build community connections, and address national incentives.
The workshop agenda was developed using community input on topics and the format, and was rich with discussion group sessions. Presentations were streamed to webcast; links to recordings are provided below.
Presentations:
- Ignite Session (45:30) - brief presentations by PIs of 11 new REUs introducing their programs
- An Overview of the REU Site Program in Geosciences (33:46) - Lisa Rom, NSF (33:46) (download PDF slides, or PPT slides)
- Supporting Students with Disabilities - Resources for REU leaders (15:34) - Chris Atchinson, IAGD
- Recruiting, Selecting, and Supporting Talented Diverse Students (15:20) - Rebecca Haacker-Santos, UCAR
Key Elements of Running an REU - A Crash Course:
- Applications & selection (10:22)
- Calendars and handbooks (5:00)
- Preparing and supporting mentors (19:10) (or PPT slides)
- Teaching scientific writing and communication (15:56)
- Team building & leadership training (13:33) (or PPT slides)
- Reporting requirements discussion (5:30)
Discussion & Working Groups:
Seasoned experts and new PIs with fresh ideas joined forces to discuss the challenges and strategies of running an REU. This format allowed a lot of time for group discussions, brainstorming, and note-taking. Topics included:
- Program evaluation, long-term REU impacts, & publishing
- Handling difficult and sensitive situations
- Challenges of international REUs and REU fieldwork
- Tips on communicating with today's students
- Adapting an REU to academically younger students
Related Links:
- Workshop Agenda
- List of Participants
- Posters presented at the workshop
- UCAR hosts workshop for leaders of undergraduate research programs
- 1st GEO REU PI Workshop in San José, CA, 2011
If you are interested in learning more, please contact Val Sloan.
This workshop was hosted by UCAR Science Education and was funded by the National Science Foundation's Geoscience Directorate and the SOARS Program.
Date of the event: March 19, 2014 - 5:00pm to March 21, 2014 - 1:00pm