EXPANDING CAVE AND KARST SCIENCE IN THE FORM OF SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES

The recent funded National Science Foundation (NSF) - Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU): U-ROCKS (Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Cave and Karst Science) offers a unique undergraduate research opportunities within the topic of cave and karst science. Starting in the summer of 2022, James Madison University will be hosting every year a different cohort of undergraduate students wanting to gain experience in the format of summer research internship. U-ROCKS will have a duration of 10 weeks and will be supporting 10 students during the summer (May through July).

U-ROCKS will be the first REU program that focuses on cave and karst science. This program recognizes the need of building an identity as a scientist during the academic formative years. Students will be working closely with research advisors, while building social capital through peer mentoring and professional development. We expect research involvement in the following topics: geophysical characterization of caves, stable isotope and other geochemical analysis of speleothems, cave ecosystems, and karst land-use policy as a way to protect natural resources among other topics. This talk is intended for undergraduate students that are interested in pursuing research experiences in the topic of cave and karst science in the form of a NSF-REU program.