In this issue: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF) MSU Physics Department Solar Physics / Astronomy & Space Physics REU Program

Science Quotes "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."--Gandhi "Lack of respect for growing, living things leads to lack of respect for humans as well."--Lakota saying "If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. but if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen."--Henry David Thoreau

CHEMISTRY TUTORING IS AVAILABLE! CHEM 105 & 112 -- Sunday and Thursday nights CHEM 213 -- Sunday nights 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in SC 338

Please stop by the Science Office in the Boyd Science Center, Room 318, to pick up your FREE TOTE BAG!.

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Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF)

The SURF program at UT Southwestern is an intensive summer research training experience designed for college students who are preparing for careers in biological research. Fellows spend ten weeks (beginning June 1, 2009 through August 7, 2009), pursuing individual research projects in the laboratories of UT Southwestern Graduate School faculty members. Fellows gain experience in modern research techniques, and have a chance to plan and execute an experimental strategy to answer a scientific question. The program introduces students to the sorts of projects encountered during postgraduate research training and leads to an understanding of the planning, discipline, and teamwork involved in the pursuit of basic answers to current questions in the biological sciences.  At the end of the summer, fellows present their research in a poster session.  In addition to laboratory research, fellows attend weekly seminars given by UT Southwestern faculty members. Informal discussions about careers in science and graduate training are also scheduled. Approximately fifty fellows participate in the summer research program.  Fellows are selected by the faculty mentors and assigned to a research project according to each fellow's previous training and research interests.

We have fellowships in the areas of:

Biological Chemistry Biophysics  Cancer Biology Chemistry Developmental Biology Genetics Immunology

Integrative Biology Molecular Biology Microbiology Neuroscience Quantitative Biology Pharmacology

Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in a natural science degree program at the undergraduate level and have completed the sophomore year.  Applicants must also be U.S. citizens or possess an F1 Visa.  Criteria used in selection of fellowship recipients will include college grades, relevant experience, and letters of recommendation from faculty who can assess the applicant's potential for advanced training and success in biological research.  If you are a mathematics, computer science, physics or chemistry major, you may be eligible for and interested in the Quantitative and Physical Sciences-Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (QP-SURF).

Stipend: The stipend for the ten-week program is $4,000.  Details on local living accommodations will be provided when fellows are notified of their acceptance.  The stipend for SURF fellows who require SURF housing is $5,250.  Stipends must be used to cover all travel and living expenses during the fellowship.

How to apply:  The SURF application is available on-line at SURF09. Completed applications should be submitted by February 9, 2009.  In addition to submitting the on-line application, official transcripts and reference letters must be received through the mail by February 9, 2009.

For additional information:  Contact the Nancy Street, SURF Director, Southwestern Graduate School, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9004, (214) 648-6708, SURF@utsouthwestern.edu.

Housing: Housing needs for SURF students are coordinated through the SURF office.  SURF participants with family or friends in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area are free to arrange their own accommodations.  SURF students requiring housing will stay in a local hotel and be transported to and from the UT Southwestern campus daily.  SURF students are responsible for hotel costs; SURF students staying at the SURF hotel receive an increased stipend to partially cover this expense.

Note: Undergraduates who intend to attend medical school with plans to pursue careers in medicine and research but who may not choose to pursue formal graduate (i.e. Ph.D.) training should apply to the UT Southwestern Undergraduate Medical Research Fellows Program, not the SURF program. All questions regarding UT-SUMR should be addressed to the UT-SUMR program, as this program is separate from the SURF program.  You can reach the UT- SUMR office by calling (214) 648-3465 or by mail at UT-SUMR, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Attention:  Dr. Michael McPhaul, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX  75390-8857.

 

MSU Physics Department Solar Physics / Astronomy
& Space Physics REU Program 

Objectives

Research
Most projects involve analysis of data from space missions such as Yohkoh, SOHO, TRACE, RHESSI and Hinode and ground-based observatories. Experience has shown that data analysis projects are suitable for most undergraduates at the sophomore or junior level.  Additionally, each year there are a few opportunities in the solar-stellar connection (dynamo theory, data analysis), solar magneto-hydrodynamics, and space hardware development.

Venue
The summer months in Montana offer outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation and other activities associated with the university and the community. Surrounded by spectacular mountains and rivers, Bozeman is within easy driving distance of Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

Benefits
Our program gives participants an opportunity to develop skills for contemporary research under the guidance of internationally known physicists. These REU experiences help students make informed decisions about graduate school and careers in academia or research.

Training and Education
The first week of our program includes training in the unix/linux/Solaris computing environment and IDL as tools for numerical modeling and data analysis.  Lectures by MSU faculty and visiting professors cover a variety of subjects related to the research program. Participants are offered an opportunity to give public talks and lead star parties during two weekends in Yellowstone National Park. The last week of our program includes participant presentations of research results. The most successful projects lead to presentations at conferences and publications in journals. For a more detailed look at the program, see the calendars for 2008 and 2007.

Eligibility
Participants must be full-time undergraduates, typically finishing their sophomore or junior years. Applications from underrepresented groups are particularly welcomed. There are no restrictions with regard to citizenship. Foreign participants are supported from non-NSF sources.

Practical Details
The on-line application form will be available here in December. The deadline for applications will be on February 1st, and the first offers will be made by March 1st.

http://solar.physics.montana.edu/home/www/reu/apply_in_december.html

The summer 2009 program will run from June 1 through August 7. Time-critical first and last week activities and summer housing limitations preclude other start and end dates. Stipends will be $4630 plus a $330 food allowance for the ten week program. Travel costs to and from Bozeman (up to coach air fare) from home or campus are covered and university residence hall lodging (single room) is provided. For non-US participants, support for travel costs is limited to the economy roundtrip airfare from JFK/New York.