EACH SUMMER, the Maryland Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program offers fourteen students the opportunity to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay — the program is especially designed for students majoring in such fields as biology, chemistry, ecology, environmental science, engineering, physics, marine science and mathematics.

The Maryland Sea Grant Program, with support from the National Science Foundation provides each fellow with:

• a stipend of $4,300
• dormitory costs
• round-trip travel expenses

During this 12-week REU program each student works with a mentor on an individual research project at one of two labs located on the Chesapeake Bay: the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's (UMCES) Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Maryland, or its Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Maryland.

The Diversity Educator Interns are a mix of six, talented undergraduate and graduate students who work to fulfill the Mosaic Center's mission and vision by promoting cross cultural programs, education and collaboration. Want to know more? Contact mosaic@umbc.edu.

Q: What is your year and major at UMBC?
A: I am a Junior and am double majoring in Psychology and Media & Communication.

Q: How is your major applicable to diversity education?
A: My majors are not applicable to diversity education, but they have helped me learn different ways of thinking and communicating. I can apply my knowledge to diversity education by helping increase communication and understanding through events, videos, and other forms of communication.

Q: Why did you decide to apply for the Diversity Educator Internship?
A: Diversity education is something that I have always been interested in. I wanted to help bring different groups and people together to discuss and accept each other. I believed this internship would help me figure out how to
use my personal skills to educate others about diversity.

Q: How would you define diversity?
A: I believe that diversity occurs when people accept and acknowledge differences in others.

Q: How does UMBC foster an appreciation for diversity?
A: UMBC has a multitude of groups that students can participate in that provide opportunities to interact with different cultures and beliefs. Even if you don’t participate in a group, it is impossible to walk around campus and not find someone who has a different background from yours.

Q: What are ways that students can participate in advocacy for diversity?

A: I believe that students can be advocates by learning instead of assuming when it comes to others, going to events that are not the norm for them, and keeping an open mind.

 Q: After graduating how will you continue to be an advocate for diversity?

A: I’m still figuring out everything for after graduation, but I would love to go find work as a Diversity Educator or eventually become someone who teaches about gender stratification and stereotypes. I find diversity, cultural interaction, and gender stereotypes interesting and going into any of these fields would give me tools to be an even better advocate for diversity. I also view being an advocate for diversity as a life style. It can just be little acts of kindness and acceptance, not a huge world changing cause.

*Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Application deadline for current URA Scholars

*Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Application deadline for MARC students

*Tuesday, February 28, 2012

     *PERSONALIZED MENTOR-MATCHING

      ** OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT including rigorous training in scientific speaking & writing, GRE prep, career exploration, and networking with industrial scientists

      ** EXCELLENT FUNDING: Stipend + on-campus housing + travel allowance. (If the student earns a summer MARC salary, we can supplement from non-federal sources).

      ** ALUMNI SUCCESS: awards for presentations at national meetings such as ABRCMS & placement at top graduate schools

       ** GREAT LOCATION with professional & recreational advantages.

      ** FUN AND FRIENDSHIPS – vibrant multi-cultural community and social program.

      ** EASY ON-LINE APPLICATION: Rolling admissions starts at the end January and is highly selective. Apply now at http://rise.rutgers.edu!

We have hosted MARC students every summer and hope some of your students will join that cohort as part of RiSE 2012. Questions? rise@rci.rutgers.edu or 732.932.7275.

If any of your seniors are still in the process of finalizing graduate school plans, I would be happy to speak with them directly about appropriate programs at Rutgers. We also offer an APPLICATION FEE WAIVER to any student who attended ABRCMS.

The University of Michigan Biophysics Summer Research for Undergraduates Program (REU) provides selected undergraduate students from around the United States an opportunity to conduct ten weeks of summer research with some of the country's leading biophysicists. The program is conducted in concert with the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and is supported by funds from the National Science Foundation. REU students have the opportunity to participate in a biophysics laboratory utilizing various techniques such as x-ray crystallography and NMR.

The Biophysics Program at the University of Michigan is one of very few standalone biophysics programs in the US and has a long tradition of interdisciplinary research. Since Biophysics is extremely intellectually diverse, our aim is not only to provide research experience in a subfield of the discipline, but to also provide an overview of state-of-the-art research in the field, and the experimental and theoretical/computational methods and techniques that are commonly used.

DEADLINE:  February 24, 2012