Faculty in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, and the College of Engineering have collaborated to offer a 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates program this summer for 20 undergraduates who are interested in research in developing metrics for ecosystem services and agricultural sustainability.

This REU focuses on field- and lab-based research in areas ranging from water quality and urban spring ecology to animal agriculture sustainability. Projects were supervised by university professors:

• Curt Rom, horticulture
• Jamie Hestekin, chemical engineering
• Marty Matlock, biological and agricultural engineering
• Benjamin Runkle, biological and agricultural engineering
• Thad Scott, crop, soil and environmental sciences
• Brian Haggard, biological and agricultural engineering
• Daniel Magoulick, biological sciences
• Michelle Evans-White, biological sciences
• Kusum Naithani, biological sciences
• Ravi Barabote, biological sciences
• John D Willson, biological sciences

Students will present their research at the Arkansas Water Resource Center Annual Meeting on July 21, hosted by Brian Haggard, director of the center. Students will give their final oral research presentations at the REU Expo in Room 216 and the atrium of J.B. Hunt Center for Academic Excellence from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 24. The event is free and open to the public.

This unique REU represents a collaborative effort between the U of A, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The NSF REU program awarded to professors Evans-White, Matlock and Scott provides specific opportunities for Native American students to gain critical experience in developing and conducting scientific research.

This program includes partnerships with tribal governments to enhance the relevance and impact of research to local ecosystem management programs and has supported eight REU cohorts since 2008. The USDA REU program research focus awarded to Matlock is exploring sustainable metrics for animal agriculture, with a focus on pork production. This program is ideal for students with an interest in agriculture, landscape indicators, food safety, and life cycle analysis. This grant has supported five REU cohorts to date.