THE SUMMER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: RECRUITING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS

The Summer Research Institute program at Missouri Western State University is an eight-week immersive research course conducted during the summer. Each faculty leader has a team consisting of at least one high school and one undergraduate student. The purpose of the program is to foster faculty- student research collaborations and recruit future Missouri Western students from area high schools. The undergraduate students receive 400-level research credits and a small stipend, while the high school students receive 200-level college credit. The projects are meant to be completed during the eight-week summer session. The research is expected to spawn presentations and publications.

The first earth science team in the 8-year history of the SRI program was formed this summer. The project involved describing and characterizing soil across a loess ridge in Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. The students were involved with every stage of the project, from designing the sampling grid, collecting samples, describing soil cores and analyzing soil chemistry in the lab. All team members have expressed interest in continuing to work on the project throughout the school year, and to apply the same techniques to other field sites within the Loess Hills during future summer seasons.