Student Research The central focus of the fellowship is the individual research project conducted under the supervision of a WHOI scientist or engineer. Accepted Fellows are matched with potential advisor(s) from the departments below and are encouraged to discuss potential projects before accepting the award. Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Biology Geology and Geophysics Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Marine Policy Center Physical Oceanography USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution REU Site Kama Thieler, James Yoder and Margaret Tivey

Overview The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has hosted a formal summer program for undergraduates continuously since 1959 and has received NSF support as an REU site since 1989. Our current program, the WHOI Summer Student Fellowship, is supported by a grant from NSF’s Division of Ocean Sciences, as well as the USGS lab that shares our campus, other federal funds, and private funds. Our private funding allows us to accept international students who are studying at academic institutions in the U.S. or abroad. We also host second-year participants of the NCAR SOARS program and returning students from the Partnership Education Program, a program of the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative. All Summer Fellows have the same programming and requirements regardless of their funding source.

Programming Fellowship recipients have the opportunity to attend and participate in an active schedule of talks, seminars, social events and a hands-on ocean sampling cruise aboard the coastal research vessel Tioga. Each Fellow also makes two presentations during the summer. Sample calendar:

Date Event_________________________________________ ___________________ Varies Check-In Appointments June 1 SSF Welcome and Safety Orientation Library Orientation, MBL/WHOI Library June 8 - August 3 Summer Lecture Series Each Wednesday, lectures are given by 2 WHOI scientists. June 10 Tour of R/V Atlantis and Alvin submersible June 14 Summer Student Fellow Cookout June 23 Ethics in Science Workshop July 7 & 8 Mid-Summer Progress Reports July 12 R/V Tioga Ocean Sampling Lecture and pre-cruise briefing July 18 - July 22 R/V Tioga One-Day Cruises July 20 Scientific Poster Design Workshop July 28 Graduate School Q & A with MIT/WHOI Joint Program Students and WHOI Post-docs August 5 Poster sessions for Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Geology and Geophysics, Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering and Biology Departments Varies Oral presentations in the Physical Oceanography Dept. and Marine Policy Center Written reports due to sponsor and Academic Programs Office. Academic Programs Office exit interviews.

0 5 10 15 20 25

5th -year undergraduate

Employed in non-scientific field

Enrolled in non-science graduate program

Intending to enroll in graduate program infall 2017 (includes 2 Fulbright Scholars)

Enrolled in other scientific or engineeringgraduate program

Employed in scientific or technical field

Enrolled in MS or PhD program in OceanScience

Number of NSF-funded alumni

Outcomes WHOI provides funds to send 4-6 Fellows to scientific meetings in the academic year following their fellowship to present the results of their summer research. Other Fellows have received support from the ASLOMP and MS-PHD’s programs as well as awards from meeting sponsors and their universities. Sixteen 2014 Fellows (50%) and twenty 2015 Fellows (63%) attended national meetings. Most students attend AGU, Ocean Sciences or ASLO Aquatic Sciences but also meetings of the National Shellfisheries Association, the Resource Modeling Association and the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology.

Figure 1. Current position of NSF-REU funded Summer Student Fellows, 2011-2015.

When recently surveyed, 52 of 54 (96%) NSF-REU funded students from 2011-2015 replied with their current position (Figure 1). Many of our alumni enroll in ocean science and geoscience programs in the U.S. and in other countries. The three ocean science graduate programs most attended in the current survey are the MIT-WHOI Joint Program (10 students ), University of Washington (4 students), and Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2 students).

Summer Fellowship applicants and percentages of total 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total 192 184 181 207 258 Male 72 52 55 82 96 38% 28% 30% 40% 37% Female 120 132 126 125 162 63% 72% 70% 60% 63% Minority 42 38 33 30 41 22% 21% 18% 14% 16% International 43 30 32 54 73 22% 16% 18% 26% 28%

All Summer Fellows in residence and percentages of total 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total 32 31 32 32 32 Male 10 6 15 14 10 31% 19% 47% 44% 31% Female 22 25 17 18 22 69% 81% 53% 56% 69% Minority 11 8 10 10 11 34% 26% 31% 31% 34% International 8 5 7 6 2 25% 16% 22% 19% 6%

NSF-funded Fellows in residence and percentages of total 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total 10 10 12 12 10 Male 5 3 7 5 3 50% 30% 58% 42% 30% Female 5 7 5 7 7 50% 70% 42% 58% 70% Minority 5 3 7 4 6 50% 30% 58% 33% 60%

Tables at left show applicant and admissions statistics for the Summer Student Fellowship, 2012-2016, both total and NSF-funded Fellows.