REU 2025 Blog!
Week 10
As the inaugural REU summer wrapped up we celebrated participants and their mentors with a poster session spotlighting the awesome work that was completed throughout the summer. We also completed our end of program evaluation with the University of Cincinnati. It was a great summer experience and we are so thankful for all those involved in the program this year! We are also so excited to see where the future leads for these amazing participants!
Week 9
During week 9 participants had a tour of the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits to learn about bourbon production in Kentucky. They also had a lunch and learn focused on developing personal statement hosted by the UK Office of Undergraduate Research. Lastly, we celebrated to exciting 10 weeks of learning and engaging with each other, students, faculty, and community partners by doing a tour of Mammoth Cave National Park and kayaking down the Green River. While kayaking students competed on collecting trash from the banks and identifying straight pipes.
Week 8
During week 8, we had the UK Career Services give a presentation on developing an effective resume. The UK Office of Undergraduate Research hosted a lunch and learn on poster design and the department hosted a work session for participants to work on their posters. Participants also had a tour of DSM, a local nutraceutical company focused on health, nutrition, and bioscience.
Week 7
Week 7 was a busy week of workshops and experiments. We had workshops hosted by the graduate school focused on applying to graduate school and identifying a mentor. The Office of Undergraduate Research hosted a mid-summer social with Kona Ice. Lastly, we reviewed poster structure for the upcoming Poster Presentations for each of the REU projects, which including citing your funding source (Thank you NSF!). We also had a field trip the UK Center of Applied Energy Research (CAER) to learn about energy innovations that can positively impact Appalachian regions.
Week 6
During week 6 we had a graduate student panel to discuss the process of applying to graduate school, expectations of graduate students, and the overall experience. We also had a workshop hosted by the UK Career Center focused on “Making a Big Decision.” Participants also took the holiday to travel independently around the state and attend another local Legends baseball game.
Week 5
Week 5 we celebrated the midpoint of the program by taking a field trip to Robinson Forest and Natural Bridge. We learned about the importance of riparian establishment for preserving water quality and had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Cristopher Barton, Professor of Forest Watershed Management at the University of Kentucky, and Andrea Drayer, the Kentucky River Basin Coordinator at the Kentucky Water Research Institute. We took part in workshops focused on summarizing findings and writing abstracts.
Week 4
During week 4 we focused on scientific writing and reporting results. We had a group discussion about how to approach the writing and presenting of results to specific audiences. This workshop helped everyone get on the same page as we prepared for the mid-project report update due in a couple of weeks. Outside of lab, students took part in a summer evening Lexington Legends baseball game complete with appearances of Star Wars characters.
Week 3
Week 3 was focused on getting projects launched and developing materials and methods. REU participants also participated in a focus group with the University of Cincinnati to provide early feedback to improve the program for the remainder of the summer. Trainings included Developing Research Materials and Methods (Wednesday). REU participants were assigned to complete a 2-3 page write up of their materials and methods for the summer that they developed working with their mentors. REU participants also had some self-planned outings in Lexington. Overall, it was a great week to get projects both in the field and in the labs initiated!
Week 2
During the second week, we finished up laboratory trainings and each participant met with their faculty and graduate student mentors to outline their research plans for the summer. The plans included their research objectives, hypotheses, and key deliverables, which is expected to serve as a good blueprint for the summer and keep everyone on the same page. Everyone also reviewed at least 5 articles suggested by their mentors and prepared summaries of the studies in order to get up to speed on the current state of the art. On Wednesday, everyone attended the Summer Research Kickoff outdoor event hosted by the UK Office of Undergraduate Research and enjoyed free Kona Ice and social time with each other and their mentors. We then reviewed our research plans as a group and discussed the main objectives, hypotheses, challenges, and opportunities of each project. Everyone shared what they knew, what they don't know, and they aspects they are most excited or nervous for. Through the discussion, participants learned from each other and came up with ideas for communicating with their mentors about resources they could use to make the best use of their time. Lastly, on Friday, Dr. Stephen Semcho from the UK Counseling Center presented a workshop on mindfulness, which provided strategies on how to incorporate mindfulness into our daily activities to lead a happier life. This insight will be important for the REU participants as they face the unchartered territory of their research projects but also in their daily lives to enhance their mental health.
Week 1
During the first we spent a lot of time completing trainings and getting paperwork completed. Trainings and tours included Welcome Breakfast with mentors (Tuesday), Tour of the BAE Building (Tuesday), Lab Safety (Tuesday), Research Project Overviews (Wednesday), Title IX (Wednesday), and Imposter Syndrome (Friday). Also, on Tuesday we worked to get everyone’s I-9s, parking passes, and Wildcat Cards completed. We added in a fun team building activity doing a team building challenge course at the Kentucky Outdoor Institute on Thursday. REU participants met with their faculty and graduate/post doc mentors to discuss projects, safety trainings, and guidance on literature reviews. Overall, for a short week, we had a ton of fun, learned a lot, and are working on getting summer research projects launched. We are looking forward to a GREAT summer!
