biosphere hydrosphere soils besst research experience for ... · besst research experience for...
TRANSCRIPT
BESST Research Experience for Undergraduates:
Year 1 Experiences
Soils play a fundamental role in many global processes. The
need to understand the flow of elements, energy, and water
through soils is immense and widely accepted across the
geosciences community. Yet, the number of scientists trained
with specific soils expertise is rapidly declining.
Working through the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for
Undergraduates (REU) Program, we developed a new REU Site focused on
attracting undergraduates toward a career in Soil Science. Hosted at NCSU,
the Basic and Environmental Soil Science Training (BESST) REU utilizes a
diverse, multi-disciplinary team of scientists to deliver individualized student
research experiences in state-of-the art soil science topics, connected through
unifying team training opportunities.
J.L. Heitman* and O.W. Duckworth
Soil Science Department, NC State University, Raleigh 27695
Program Overview
reu.soil.ncsu.edu
Support provided by NSF Award 1358938.
Integrative Activities
Integrative activities within the program broaden experience in soil science
and provide professional development opportunities. Highlights included:
• Sea to Mountain Tour – students visit 20 sites throughout NC during a
week-long field camp
• Science-Policy Interface Workshop – led by EPA research scientists at
the U.S. EPA National Risk Management Laboratory
• Grand Challenges Workshop – led by participating scientists at the
Calhoun NSF Critical Zone Observatory
Program objectives are to:
i) Recruit outstanding students with or without extensive previous experience
in soil science, with an emphasis on those from under-represented groups
ii) Train students by providing a substantive research experience and
exposure to broad opportunities in basic and environmental soil science
iii) Develop a pool of future professionals empowered to advance
understanding of soils in the geoscience community
Mentored Research
Year 1 of the program included 13 students from 11 institutions
throughout the U.S. and one international institution. Projects covered a
wide range of topics from fundamental research to applications in
contemporary environmental issues. Students were matched with mentors
and worked to develop their own research.
Project presentations from national meetings are listed on the right.
Student Application and Participation
We are actively recruiting students for summer 2016.
• Candidates are rising sophomore, junior, or senior undergraduates.
• Application materials are available at reu.soil.ncsu.edu, due February 15.
• Program dates are May 26 to August 3, 2016 (similar timeline in 2017).
• Participating students receive a $5K stipend; housing; travel and meal
allowances; and travel support for participation in a post-summer
national scientific conference.
Student Home Institution 2015 Project Title
Presenting at the SSSA Meeting, Minneapolis, MN
N. Almaraz CO Sch. Mines Assessing Biomineral Formation by Iron-oxidizing
Bacteria (FeOB) in a Circumneutral Creek
E. Andujar City Coll. NY Investigating the Impact of Dissolved Organic Carbon
Sources on Arsenic Mobilization
R. Diaz NC State U. Probing the Redox Reactivity of Mycogenic Manganese
Oxides with Substituted Quinones
K. Floro George Mason U. Specific Surface Area of Soils Across Geomorphic
Regions of North Carolina
S. Lee U. Redlands Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions Under Biofuel
Cropping in the Piedmont of North Carolina
A. Meredith Coll. William & Mary Use of Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation to Reduce
Trace Element Leaching from Fly Ash
K. Purnell Barnard Coll. Morphology and Phylogenetic Characterization of Mn(II)-
Oxidizing Superfund Site Fungal Assemblages
R. Schroeder Purdue U. Characterizing and Mapping Field Scale Spatial
Variability of Surface Properties with EM38
Presenting at the American Geophysical Union Meeting, San Francisco, CA
I. Holzer Scripps Coll. Uptake of Cadmium by Flue-cured Tobacco Plants:
Exploring Bioavailability
A. Zare U. TX Austin Controlling Erosion on Construction Sites with
Polyacrylamide: Optimal Mixing Time and Dose
Presented at the Phytotechnologies 12th Int’l Conference, Manhattan, KS
N. Harbordt SUNY ESF Presence and Transport of PPCPs in Soil Irrigated with
Municipal Wastewater
Biosphere Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Soils