Hello and welcome to our 2015 Research Experience for
Undergraduates blog. I’m Geoff Wilson
and I am the program coordinator, as well as one of the co-Principal
Investigators, of this National Science Foundation funded undergraduate
research program. You can read more
about the program, which is run jointly by Plymouth State University and the
Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, here.
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| photo by Paloma |
I love running this program. Every year I meet bright
students from around the country all working on different questions relating to
the forested ecosystem I call home. They
live closely together co-op style in an old house that’s been hosting
Hubbard Brook students since the early 1960’s, and generally have lots of fun
studying and exploring the region. I
first came to Hubbard Brook as an undergraduate in 1992. I lived in this house, learned a lot, made
some life-long friends, and fell in love with the White Mountains, so I feel
very privileged to be able to provide the opportunity for others year after
year.
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| 2015 REU team (photo by Tyler) |
The theme of our REU program is “investigating and
communicating ecosystem change.” The
“investigating” part is probably obvious – it is after all a research
experience program. The “communicating”
part probably deserves a bit more explanation.
In addition to each student’s research, the group makes a concerted
effort to discuss and practice ways to communicate science, both their own
research and more general topics, to non-scientist audiences. This blog is one way for the students to gain
experience writing for a broader audience and hopefully share some of the
enthusiasm they have for their research.
The entries that follow will introduce you to all of the REU students
and their research, and hopefully contain some glimpses and ruminations on
other events that happen in the summer at Hubbard Brook.
Enjoy!
