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

The next application deadline for the Urban Teacher Center is February 15, 2012.  There is a webinar to learn more about our program and the application process on February 8, 2012 at 9PM E.S.T.  

Interested individuals can register through the events section of our website at www.urbanteachercenter.org.  You can also see where we will be around the country over the next few months (from coast to coast!)  

Our next Final Interview Days in Washington, DC and Baltimore include:  

• March 9, 10
• May 4 and 5
• June 7 and 8. 

Located at 4644 Wilkens Avenue in the same shopping center as Giant, Haiku Frozen Yogurt opened its doors for business last June. Guests can create their own treat, starting with a yogurt flavor and adding in fresh toppings. They weigh your cup when you are finished concocting, and charge based on the weight. Here is what two UMBC students had to say about their experience:

Evan Ponter: How did you hear about Haiku?

DC: The first time I heard about Haiku was through some paper advertising their employees were doing on campus. At first I wasn’t particularly drawn in, since I had other places I already went to for fro yo, but hearing good things about it from friends eventually made me try it out for myself.

JP: I saw their advertising while I was at Giant purchasing groceries (being that I am in college, this must have meant I had just gotten paid). They had a lot of flags and advertising all around the shopping center. At first I didn’t know what it was but then they put up the sign that said “frozen yogurt” and I got really really excited.

EP: Was it the first time u had fro yo?

DC: It wasn’t the first time that I had fro yo, but i would say that having it there was definitely the first time I had some that tasted like actual yogurt – not as filled with sugar to hide the taste as other places like to do.

JP: This was not even close to the first time. The way that my roommates and I bond is over frozen yogurt from Tutti Fruti (manly, not so much, but at least it is healthier than beer….or is it?) That restaurant is a staple food for many UMBC students as it was the closest fro-yo joint in the area before Haiku was opened. Even though it is like a 20 minute drive to get there it is so worth it because of their cleanliness, selection of yogurts, and plethora of toppings. Haiku has a lot to stand up to and I think they are realizing that. Since opening they have added some new toppings and yogurt flavors to meet customer demand.

EP: What do you usually get?

DC: What I usually get typically involves some combination of vanilla and chocolate flavors, and it always has strawberries on top

JP: I am a sweet kind of guy (yes, I mean personality AND yogurt flavor). I normally go toward the vanilla and chocolate flavors that are sweetened and stay away from the tart or original yogurt. Although I do have many friends that are very into that flavor, I just like the sweetness If I am getting a dessert. I also enjoy loading lots of fruit (and some chocolate….lots of chocolate) on top of my frozen treat. If I am feeling wild I might even throw on some Captain Crunch (yes they have that as a topping. I dreamt of this back in third grade!) or some Oreos. The options of topping go from what you would expect at an ice cream place like chocolate syrup and cherries, to extremely out there like Frutti Pebbles cereal and Pop-Tarts. I think these options, and the fact that you serve yourself, are what set it apart from any other ice cream restaurant.

EP: What do you try to avoid? What haven’t you tried yet that you might be willing to try?

DC: I’m typically down to try just about any flavor, so long as it isn’t supposed to be fruity in the way that it tastes. I prefer to get those flavors by adding actual fruit on top, if possible.

JP: I have yet to try any fruity flavor, like mango or mixed berry for example, and I think that this would be something that I like. I am a HUGE fan of mango sorbet so I should probably take the chance to try the frozen yogurt version as soon as I can. (and yes, I know what you were asking yourself, I WOULD put captain crunch on top!)