REU Students

rroulou'sik

Wiyot for "rising up" 

Pronunciation is approximately "doo-loot-seek." Audio Example

Research Experience for Undergraduates

This was a summer program that ran from 2016-2018 for undergraduate students interested in research experience in the science and management of natural resources on tribal lands and in collaboration with tribal partners. While all students were eligible to apply, given this program's particular emphasis, the deepest learning was achieved by students with a personal connection to tribal resources.  We especially encouraged applications from American Indian, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian students.  It was funded by the National Science Foundation’s “Research Experience for Undergraduates” (REU) program.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s REU supported the training of a total of 30 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2016-2018. Links below were for the last summer of the program in 2018.

Application for the 2018 Summer

Faculty and tribal mentors available for 2018

Students accepted into the program received a weekly stipend of $500 as well as assistance with housing, travel, and research expenses.

The Program

Students designed research projects on natural resource management in close collaboration with faculty mentors from the Humboldt departments of Wildlife, Fisheries, Environmental Science, Chemistry, and Forestry, in some cases also with collaborators from the Wiyot, Yurok, Hoopa, and Karuk Tribes. Students’ projects were tribally-related by having one or more of the following attributes: conducted on tribal lands and in collaboration with a tribal partner, focused on a culturally relevant species, intended to have substantial application for tribal resource management, and/or incorporating Traditional Ecology Knowledge (TEK).  Students also participated in workshops on TEK, responsible conduct of research, and how to get into graduate school. Excellent facilities at Humboldt, important collaborations, and access to unparalleled nearby ecosystems offer students and their mentors opportunities to pursue research questions unique to this region, but with broad application, such as interactions between climate change and fire, forest alteration and wildlife habitat use, using environmental DNA in water samples to monitor elusive species, and development of hydrological models to optimize water releases from dams for important fish species.

Working with their mentors, selected student interns were expected to do the following during the program: (a) work full time (40 hrs/week) for 10 weeks (from 4 June to 10 August 2018), (b) participate in all program workshops and related educational opportunities, (c) deliver periodic oral presentations of their research proposals, progress reports, and final findings, and (d) prepare a written report or poster of their research project.  In addition, selected student interns were also expected to present their research at a regional or national conference later in the year (travel paid for by the program).

The program was especially geared toward American Indian, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian students. Students learned how research is conducted, and many presented the results of their work at scientific conferences. In collaboration with local tribal offices and tribal natural resource managers, this program aimed to situate scientific research in a context of tribal application. Thus, the students not only learned vital lessons about the practical value of science, results from collaborative student research projects provided essential data for natural resource managers, and influenced land use decisions. More information about the program is available by contacting the PI (Dr. Matt Johnson at matt.johnson@humboldt.edu) or program coordinator (Dr. Seafha Ramos at seafha@gmail.com).

Program Staff

Program Director

 

Program Coordinator

 

Available Mentors

All of our mentors are Faculty who teach on Campus

Acknowledgements

Lynika Butler, a linguist for the Wiyot Tribe, provided the program name: rroulou'sik - Wiyot for "rising up."
 
Brittany Britton created the rroulou'sik logo.  Brittany is a member of the Hupa tribe and an accomplished artist. brittanybritton.com