REU Site: Program in Climate and Space Science Observation (PICASSO) at the University of Michigan

The Program in Climate and Space Science Observation (PICASSO) at the University of Michigan is a ten-week, site-based, program housed within the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering. The program particularly seeks to support students with limited access to research opportunities, engaging a diverse cohort of undergraduate students in research projects covering a broad range of climate and space science topics: meteorology, climate variability/impacts, atmospheric chemistry, remote sensing, computational modeling, space weather, and planetary atmospheres. Paired with faculty research mentors with expertise within these fields, participants will collaboratively develop individual research projects that will contribute to our overall understanding within these fields. Through their projects, participants will learn technical skills, such as: (a) project development and management, (b) data collection, analysis, and visualization, (c) computational model development, application and evaluation, and (d) assessment and consideration of uncertainties in the interpretation of research results. The results from these projects will be presented at an “End-of-Program Poster Fair”. The program provides support for participants to present their work at a scientific conference of their choice, as well, which will allow them to develop professional networks to support their personal and professional growth throughout their academic and professional careers. In addition to technical skill-building, community-building and professional development will be core facets of the program. Community-building will take place through both community service projects benefiting those within our local community, as well as through planned activities with faculty, students, and staff within the department. The REU site will support our participants’ professional development through a series of workshops, including understanding the responsible and ethical conduct of research, developing skills for the communication of scientific research results to their peers and the general public, learning the nuances of selecting, applying to, and succeeding in graduate school, and developing a greater sense of self-understanding and self-authorship in support of professional and personal decision-making. Based upon previous participant feedback, this program has demonstrated success in helping to improve/solidify the confidence of participants and their continued participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Further, the program activities aim to develop scientists and engineers who are culturally and ethically aware of the impact of their professional activities, and who will use their newfound skills to solve scientific and engineering challenges facing society, including the protection of our environment, and human health and welfare. 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.