Woods Hole Science Institutions Offer Undergraduate Summer Program on Cape Cod

Students visit a local beach to learn about coastal geology, erosion and sea level rise firsthand. (Credit: PEP/NOAA) Research internships provide opportunities to conduct field and laboratory experiments. Rosalinda Gonzalez (pictured) studied enhanced levels of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide in coastal wetlands due to nitrogen enrichments for her PEP research project in 2009. (Credit: PEP/NOAA) PEP students participate in seminars, workshops, career development activities, field trips and at-sea experiences, and attend lectures throughout the summer. (Credit: PEP,/NOAA)

Related Links Woods Hole Partnership Education Program (PEP) 2010 PEP and Students

PEP is designed for college students, with priority given to entering juniors and
seniors, majoring in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, or geosciences and earth system sciences) who have had some course work in oceanography, biology, or marine and/or environmental science.  In addition to a four-week course at the beginning of the program and research internships lasting six to eight weeks, PEP students participate in seminars, workshops, field trips and at-sea experiences, career development activities,  and attend lectures at participating science institutions throughout the summer.

The PEP course is offered for credit through University of Maryland Eastern Shore and taught in Woods Hole by research scientists from Woods Hole science institutions.  The 2011 course, entitled “Ocean and Environmental Sciences: Global Climate Change,” runs from June 1 to July 1.  PEP students will also conduct research projects through August 12 that employ some of the techniques and explore some of the issues presented in the course.  At the end of the summer, the students will present results from their research in a 20-minute public presentation during a one-day PEP seminar.

The 2011 program will cover the cost of tuition, travel, room and board, and provide a stipend.  Students who apply by February 15 will have priority for admissions and financial support.  Application information and reports on the 2010 and 2009 programs are available on the Woods Hole PEP website (http://www.woodsholediversity.org/pep/).

PEP welcomes applications from students of all backgrounds. Students from groups under-represented in marine and environmental sciences are especially encouraged to apply – this includes African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian Pacific Island, and Alaska Native students.

PEP is a project of the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative.  Participating institutions are: NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, Sea Education Association, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, U. S. Geological Survey, Marine Biological Laboratory, and Woods Hole Research Center. The Woods Hole Diversity Initiative's primary academic partner is the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

For further information, contact PEP Director Dr. Ambrose Jearld, Jr. at NOAA Fisheries Service (Ambrose.Jearld@noaa.gov or 508-495-2318) or Dr. Paulinus Chigbu at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (pchigbu@umes.edu or 410-621-3034).

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