Research Experience for Undergraduates
at Old Dominion University

Centered in the heart of tidewater Virginia, Old Dominion University’s (ODU) Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences (OEAS) is accepting applications for a unique internship opportunity for undergraduate students interested in climate change and sea level rise in a coastal urban setting. Students will work one-on-one with experts in oceanography, devising a research plan, conducting research in the field, and presenting their findings. This 10-week program will provide students with an opportunity to develop research skills, work side by side with top scientists, participate in workshops, field trips, and lectures to exchange ideas, and establish relationships lasting throughout their professional career.

Interns will be able to study first hand issues facing this urban community, as ODU is situated at the conjunction of the Elizabeth and Lafayette Rivers, tidal tributaries connected to the southern Chesapeake Bay. Norfolk has made national headlines as Hampton Roads has the highest rate of relative sea level rise on the Atlantic coast (from Maine to Florida) due to subsidence, and it is the largest population center at risk from sea level rise outside of New Orleans. The OEAS department is perfectly situated to provide students with a unique environment to conduct their research.

Applications to ODU’s 2017 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, An Interdisciplinary Site for Climate Change Science in Metropolitan Coastal Communities, are due March 25, 2017 and must be submitted online. Required application documents include a resume, unofficial transcripts, a personal statement, and two letters of recommendation.

Undergraduate students (U.S. residents only) between their freshman and senior years may apply (must have completed at least their freshman year); under-represented groups and students in universities with little access to research facilities are strongly encouraged. The program is designed for students majoring in sciences, particularly in oceanography, marine science and policy, environmental science, biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Students will live on campus in dorms at ODU, located in Norfolk, Virginia.

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://www.odu.edu/oeas/reu

Photo of Hurricane Sandy courtesy of NASA.