REU Site: Student Training in Oceanography, Remote Sensing, and Meteorology (STORM)

To solve the most pressing problems facing the planet, tomorrow’s leaders in climate, weather, and water enterprise and research must grapple with an enormous variety and complexity of Earth observations from space, on the ground, and in the ocean in collaborative, diverse team settings. The Student Training in Oceanography, Remote sensing and Meteorology (STORM) REU will support development of these leaders by training a total of 30 students (10 each summer) over three years in an immersive 10-week summer research program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. STORM students will emerge from the REU prepared to tackle challenging problems in climate, weather, and water with a set of research, technical, and interpersonal skills critical to success across STEM careers. Students will work with faculty and scientists to design and produce cutting-edge research in oceanography, remote sensing, and meteorology while developing the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for research independence, including computer programming, literature reviews, and oral and poster presentations. Students will also participate in weekly professional development and interpersonal skill-building opportunities that will provide breadth and context to the research experience. STORM is a collaborative effort among the co-located Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS), the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research (CCR), the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), and the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). STORM aims to expand the pool of future researchers and develop a diverse STEM workforce by providing hands-on student engagement, integrating intentional recruitment and support for improving diversity, and addressing critical, societally-relevant research questions. Students will receive professional development that includes improving coding skills, exploring their science identity, discussing career paths, skills for science communication, networking, self advocacy, and discussing the importance of mental health. The objectives of this REU site are exposure, enrichment, and empowerment. The site aims through exposure to provide undergraduate students with their first, or near-first, experience in STEM research, specifically in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. The experience will be enriched by promoting the development of a set of research, self-reflection, and interpersonal skills that will serve undergraduate students in a variety of STEM careers paths. The REU site will aim for empowerment by instilling a sense of self-awareness, ownership and agency in each undergraduate student so that they can more readily navigate STEM careers as they are. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.