REU Schedule

Program Componets

SURF requires each person who will be working more than 40 hours underground to undergo their Basic Safety Training. This is an all-day safety training course covering first aid, fire and electrical safety, and safety for the underground environment. Each student will be required to attend the first day of the project. The second day will be comprised of an overview of the experiments located at SURF as well as an underground tour of the 4850L. In the afternoon, a pizza party culminating in a scavenger hunt around BHSU will be held. Ethics training is also required the first week of the project.

Professional development workshops will be held once a week for an hour or two, depending on the subject. These will be true workshops, where the students will come away with a product they can use in their future careers. ;Homework will be given each week to be completed by the next workshop to ensure students are prepared, fully engaged and receive the full benefit of the workshops. Subjects such as ;branding yourself (using professional social media (LinkedIn) to enhance your professional image) and ;writing an effective resume will be taught by BHSU career counseling experts. The remainder of the workshops will be taught by research mentors.

Students will meet with a faculty member once a week for an hour for faculty research presentations. Faculty members will provide a brief (30 minute) overview of a topic of their choosing within their research area, leaving the rest of the time for discussions and questions. Through this activity, students will gain a broader knowledge of underground science as well as gain experience discussing new ideas in a scientific setting. Students will also meet with their research group once a week for a research group meetings. These will be traditional research group meetings in which each person in a particular group explains their activities for that week and receives feedback and help from the group. An important part of a research group, the weekly meeting provides a safe setting for the undergraduate to explain their research activities as well as ensures that their research is moving forward.

Optional social activities will be organized every Saturday. Local hikes, picnics in the park with lawn games, drives to local sights (Mt. Rushmore), etc. will be offered every week. In addition to planned social activities, the BHSU campus offers informal activities as well. Students will be staying in the residence halls together and all students will have a pass to the campus recreational center. Near the dorms are also several softball fields, a Frisbee golf course and a sand volleyball court. The residence halls also offer board games and TVs on every-other floor.

Weekly Schedule Overview

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Week 1 SURF Safety Training Tour of Underground;
Pizza Party		 Ethics in Research Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Drive to Mt. Rushmore
Week 2 No Data Branding Yourself No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 BBQ in the Park
Week 3 No Data Strategic literature searches No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Hike to Harney Peak
Week 4 No Data Writing an effective resume No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Sylvan Lake Swimming
Week 5 No Data Writing personal statements No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Game Night
Week 6 No Data Grad school: select
and apply		 No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Badlands and Wall Drug
Week 7 No Data Applying for jobs in industry No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 BBQ in the Park
Week 8 No Data Written communication
in research		 No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Movie Marathon
Week 9 No Data Oral communication
in research		 No Data Faculty Research
Presentations		 Research Group
Meetings		 Neutrino Day
Week 10 No Data Practice final presentation No Data No Data Final Presentation;
Exit Evaluations		 No Data