GeoGator Summer Research Program

This opportunity is curated through the UF TESI Environmental Leaders Network. Opportunities posted through the Network may not be affiliated with the Florida Museum or TESI, but are shared with UF undergraduate students who want to learn more about environmental research, education and outreach, and civic engagement.

Opportunity Provider

UF Department of Geography

Description

The UF GeoGator Summer Research Program is a for-credit research opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in an active research project with a faculty member in the Geography department. Click HERE to read about project options. The program provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, the chance to be involved with cutting-edge research and lab environments, the opportunity to identify and develop career-related skills and abilities, and also a chance to network with professionals. This program aims to prepare students for future careers by gaining valuable and marketable experience and expanding their knowledge beyond the classroom.

Weekly professional development seminars allow participants to learn from each other’s experiences and contextualize their research projects within the field. Seminar themes and events include career and graduate school exploration, science communication, and the ethics of research. Students will present their projects at a Fall 2024 symposium.

2024 Summer C Program Schedule

	Dates	Schedule
Week 1	May 13-17	Orientation week • May 13: Welcome session • May 15: What is research and how to be successful in this program • May 17: Team building activity • Assignment: meet your mentor & research “contract”
Week 2	May 20-24	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Mentor/mentee relationship building • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 3	May 28-31	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Scientific literature (library field trip) • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 4	June 3-7	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Research ethics & data life cycles • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 5	June 10-14	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Academia vs industry (career panel discussion) • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 6	June 17-21 *no class – UF holiday	Independent research • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 7	July 1-5	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Developing a career plan • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 8	July 8-12	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: The next steps – applications for graduate and professional school • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 9	July 15-19	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: The next steps – applying for fellowships and scholarships • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 10	July 22-26	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Communicating science – how to write a research paper • Assignment: weekly progress report
Week 11	July 29-August 2	Independent research • Weekly professional development topic: Communicating science – elevator pitches for your project • Assignment: elevator pitch recording & peer review; weekly progress report
Week 12	August 5-9	Wrap up week • Poster presentation practice session • Assignment: poster draft
Fall Semester	Tentative Date: August 29st, 3-4pm	First department colloquium: Summer Research Program student poster presentations

Eligibility

Applicants must:

Be a UF student capable of taking 0-3 credit hours in the Summer C term
Have completed at least one year of undergraduate study by the start of Summer 2024
Have at least one semester of study remaining after the completion of the GeoGator Summer Research Program

Students who are from historically excluded groups OR who are from low-income homes OR who are the first in their family to attend college are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Due Date

End of February 2024. No specific date is listed.

Application

Click HERE to complete the application.

*Note* In order to complete the application you must be logged into Google using your UF Email Account

Website

GeoGator Summer Research Program – Geography (ufl.edu)

Contact

Program Coordinator Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck, ghamerlinck@ufl.edu