REU in Conservation Science at Zoo Miami (Summer 2021)
Agency: Florida International University
Location: Miami, FL
Closing Date: Feb. 1, 2021
Contact: Please send all application materials to ZooMiamiREU@gmail.com
For more information, contact Dr. Steven Whitfield at steven.whitfield@miamidade.gov or Dr. Elizabeth Anderson at epanders@fiu.edu.
Term/Grade: Summer Internship
Position Summary: In this 10-week summer program, students will conduct independent research in conservation science under the mentorship of the conservation biologists, wildlife veterinarians, and education researchers at Zoo Miami and FIU. The program is suited for students with a background in biology, environmental science, or education. Students should have a passion for conservation and an enthusiasm for working with diverse teams of conservation practitioners.
Program Basics: Conservation, research, and education are a fundamental part of the mission of modern zoos. Zoo Miami, ZMF, and FIU are happy to host the only zoo-based Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program within the US, beginning in summer 2021. Students in this program will conduct mentored research under the guidance of conservation biologists and conservation practitioners from Zoo Miami and from FIU.
Like all REU programs, students in this program will have a guided introduction to how to conduct research:
- how to design a research project
- how to collect, manage, and analyze data
- how to produce formal research presentations
- how to produce formal research papers.
Unlike any other REU program, students will have the unique experience of conducting research within a zoo environment, with unparalleled access to endangered species and conservationists working to protect them. This program is highly interdisciplinary, with research topics ranging from field ecology, reproductive physiology, disease biology, and conservation education. What links these projects is that they help advance conservation by leveraging the unique resources of a modern zoo.
See announcement and apply here.
