If you’re a college undergraduate, and your perfect summer job would be to do research in Yosemite National Park, this is your lucky year.
In 2013, UC Merced is sponsoring a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program at Yosemite National Park. Supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, participating undergraduates will work on a research program led by UC Merced. Participants will be housed at the NRS’s Yosemite Field Station, which is part of UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute.
Students will pursue specific projects in ecology, geoscience, biodiversity, conservation, restoration, hydrology, or engineering. Training will be provided by mentors from UC Merced and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center. Teams of scientists from UC Merced, the USGS, and the National Park Service will lead students on field trips focusing on Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. All students will also attend a weekly seminar in Environmental Science.
Stretching from the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains to its snow-capped crest, Yosemite is a spectacular place to explore. Its features include glacier-carved Yosemite Valley; multiple groves of the world’s largest tree, the giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum); endangered and threatened species; and river systems supplying millions of Californians and a renowned agricultural industry. These qualities make Yosemite a living laboratory for environmental scientists.
Participants in the REU will receive a stipend of $4,500 for the nine-week period. Meals as well as housing at Yosemite Field Station, located in Wawona Village near the south entrance of the park, will be provided by the program. The program will run from June 16 to August 17.