Mote Marine Laboratory

Generation Next

A National Science Foundation program helps Mote educate a new generation of scientists

K’ulei Vickery of the University of Hawaii studied sharks.

Danny Ordonez of Hawaii Pacific University analyzed phytoplankton.

Cassie Schwanger of Carthage College learned how manatees use protected habitats.

What did these students have in common? They were among the first group to participate in Mote’s new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

The program, which provides paid internships for students at the top of their classes in their third and fourth years of college, is designed to teach the basics, said Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, program manager. “We want to teach them about the scientific method, about writing proposals, about all the things that go into being a scientist,” he said.

Students are mentored by a Mote scientist and are required to complete an independent research project, write a paper about their study and submit a manuscript or present a poster at a professional meeting. Students also learn about ethics or ethical reasoning in science and participate in field trips and career workshops.

Vickery, 20, said she learned a lot about doing field research during her experience in the summer 2003 program, where she studied shark movement in Charlotte Harbor. “I learned about all the little things related to doing an experiment,” she said. “That you need to be aware of weather conditions and that the whole project can depend on things like lightning storms.”

Another program goal is to create a larger field of minority scientists, especially scientists of Native Pacific Islander descent, Gelsleichter said.

“The program is open to all students,” he said. “But Native Pacific Islanders are a poorly identified minority group typically lumped in with Asians. This will help us gain more information on how many Pacific Islanders are in science.

“Plus, many in that group depend on marine resources for their livelihood, yet only 10 percent of the Pacific Islander population finish college. That’s a pretty slim number. The more we can do to get students into the field, the more we increase the overall pool (of minorities) to choose from.”

This program will also measure student success differently. “We’re doing self-assessments about their skills and knowledge before they start the program and at the end of the program,” said Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, who is the evaluator for the program. “We want the program to have a positive effect, otherwise how will we encourage them to go to grad school or obtain a job in science?”

Vickery has decided science is for her. “I’m interested in big animals that you can see and touch,” Vickery said. “That’s much more exciting to me. And I think this program has really opened up the possibilities for what I can do.”

Learn more about: Mote's REU Program, Internship Opportunities