Application Information
May 26 - August 1, 2008

Last Updated: March 12, 2008

The REU 2008 selection process is now complete. All 10 slots are filled. This year we received pieces of 85 applications, 77 of which were complete. There were only 10 positions, so competition was again intense and it was very difficult to decide on only 10! I sincerely wish all our applicants the very best in their career and graduate school decisions. If anyone has questions or comments, they may contact me, the PI and Director, Ms. Daphne LaDue: 405-325-1898, dzaras@ou.edu.

Eligibility: you must be a US citizen or permanent resident and enrolled in an undergraduate degree program during the summer to be eligible for this program. If you are graduating from a community, tribal, or other 2-year college you are eligible so long as you have enrolled in a 4-year institution to complete an undergraduate degree.

The application form for REU 2009 will be posted here by Christmas 2008.

More Information on Research Locations:

Exciting things are happening in the world of weather! In addition to the new interdisciplinary studies (e.g. see WAS*IS in the subject areas below), we are also partnering with private companies to do our research. These companies thus far include Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., or AER, and Weather Decision Technologies, or WDT. The latter, WDT, was formed and is still located in Norman, Oklahoma, right next door to the National Weather Center. AER presently has just a small contingent in Norman, also next door, but is also forming partnerships between scientists at their other locations with NWC scientists.

For 2008, AER would like to mentor at least one REU student. They have proposed the CO₂/satellite project mentioned below. The main mentor will be in MA, so the student working on that project may wish to spend weeks 2-9 in MA. Extra funding will be available to cover travel to Norman for weeks 1 & 10 of the program and the housing allowance will help with housing in the Boston area. In 2007, one student from the Boston area chose to participate in this way and found that for him it was the best of both worlds: he was able to be in Boston for much of the summer, yet also participate in this REU. Note! Interest in this project does NOT require you to be in MA. If you choose to be in Norman, you will fly to MA for one week in the middle of the program. Please indicate your interest on the application cover sheet.

More Information on Subject Areas:

The following will be updated as projects are proposed for 2008.

Our Student Selection Process

The selection committee is comprised of a variety of scientists from throughout the National Weather Center, thereby representing people from real careers that involve meteorological research. The committee reviews applications and comes to consensus. The 10 students initially selected are called by telephone and invited to participate. They are given one week to accept/decline. If anyone declines our invitation we then call our alternates until we have filled all 10 positions. Notification letters are then sent to the remaining applicants.

The selection decision is always very difficult. It is difficult to describe our selection process because we consider all parts of the application, especially the content of the student's essays, year in school, letters of reference, grades (including trends in grades and which courses students do well in), and other answers. The majority of students we select express surprise, saying they didn't think they would get in. Ultimately we seek a diverse group of students who are from both large and small schools, mostly older but a few younger students, mostly meteorology majors but several other majors, etc.

More Information

For more information concerning this program call or e-mail the Director, Daphne LaDue: 405-325-1898, dzaras@ou.edu.

Other Opportunities

Any experience in research is helpful in making career and graduate school decisions. Here are a few opportunities we are aware of:

• CASA's REU Program, 4 sites including Norman: http://www.casa.umass.edu/educationandoutreach/students/reu.html
• Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science - SOARS: http://www.ucar.edu/soars/
• Other REU programs, search at NSF: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm
• Other REU programs, listing from IGERT: http://www.igert.org/reus.asp
• Student jobs in the government: http://www.studentjobs.gov/
• Coop program at the Meteorological Development Lab of the NWS: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/coop/coop.htm
• American Meteorological Society resources for students: http://www.ametsoc.org/
• NOAA Educational Partnership with Minority-Serving Institutions Undergraduate Scholarship: http://www.orau.gov/orise/educ.htm

All institutions of the National Weather Center are equal opportunity employers.

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