Education Corner

Published on January 13, 2021

 

 

Karina Vielma, EdD
NHERI Education and Community Outreach
Research Fellow and Educational Specialist
University of Texas, San Antonio
Robin Nelson, PhD
Educational Specialist,
NHERI ECO

Through virtual recruitment events, we reached over 110 undergraduates and 20 early career faculty.

On behalf of the NHERI ECO Committee, we would like to thank everyone who shared information about the NHERI Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Summer Institute.

This year, we took a slightly different approach to recruit undergraduates and early- career faculty for the NHERI ECO events. As in n previous years, we sent flyers, albeit virtually, and emails. But this year, we also held virtual informational events to help undergraduates and early career faculty become familiar with the NHERI REU or Summer Institute programs and assist with the application process. Through virtual recruitment events, we reached over 110 undergraduates and 20 early career faculty.

We invite faculty and undergraduate students interested in learning about the NHERI REU program to attend our last REU virtual information session on Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 4:00-5:00 pm Central Time. The NHERI network, sites, and program will be introduced, and REU alumni will share their experiences. You can register for the event on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/REU_NHERI.

 

This year, we are very excited to announce the addition of CONVERGE to the NHERI REU program — the eleventh site to the NHERI family. CONVERGE, along with the ten other NHERI sites, will host REU students this summer. While NHERI ECO hopes to host an in-person REU program, we are prepared to offer hybrid or remote options as we continue to deal with uncertainties due to university policies in response to COVID-19. Regardless of the modality, the NHERI REU Program will take place this summer, and REU students will present their research at the annual research symposium, which will be held August 9-10, 2021.

The NHERI Summer Institute for Early Career Faculty will take place on June 16-17, 2021. The Summer Institute is a free two-day workshop for early career faculty interested in learning about the NHERI network and conducting collaborative natural hazards engineering research.

We hope to offer a face-to-face and hybrid option as in previous years, but the NHERI ECO is prepared to offer a fully remote option if necessary. If you are interested in attending, please visit the DesignSafe Learning Center to register.

A limited number of travel awards are available for early career faculty and applications are due February 10, 2021. Early career faculty — including pre-tenured faculty, senior level graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers — are invited to apply for the travel awards. We encourage researchers interested in collaborative interdisciplinary research projects as well as women and minority scholars to apply.

Thank you again for sharing information about NHERI, the REU program, and the Summer Institute for Early Career Faculty. We look forward to welcoming new undergraduates and early-career faculty into our NHERI community this summer!

The NHERI Summer Institute for Early Career Faculty takes place on June 16-17, 2021.