Research Experience for Undergraduates

The Academy for the Environment (http://environment.unr.edu/), facilitating student involvement in environmental research and education at UNR, and the Great Basin Institute, an environmental research, education and conservation organization, invite applications for the summer 2010 REU program in natural resources – conservation and socioeconomic issues, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Overview of Program: Research teams will work in the eastern Sierra region of Nevada, within the Lake Tahoe-Truckee River-Pyramid Lake watershed, on studies ranging from fire effects on watershed restoration to
anthropogenic influences on water quality at Lake Tahoe. Participants will be exposed to diverse scientific inquiries and technologies to gain insight into how science informs land and water use policy, management and conservation initiatives.

Timeline: The program will take place during the ten consecutive weeks of 7 June through 13 August 2010.

Compensation: Students in the program will be provided a stipend of $4250, along with housing on campus.

Research Topics Include:
• Biological, physical and chemical sampling of aquatic resources
• Impacts and management of invasive species
• Rephotography (comparing past and current images of an area) analyses of environmental change
• Resource management policy and implementation within the watershed
• Recreation and capacity studies of state and federal lands in the Tahoe Basin

Eligibility: Qualified undergraduates, who will have junior or senior status and will be a full-time student in the Fall 2010 term, with a combination of coursework in the following disciplines are invited to apply: environmental
studies, natural resources, biology, ecology, hydrology, resource economics, and statistics. We especially encourage applications from students at primarily undergraduate institutions and from underrepresented
groups. Participants must be citizens or permanent legal residents of the USA. Review of applications will begin on 8 March 2010. Applications received after this date will be considered on a space-available basis.