The National Weather Center Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in Norman, Oklahoma, is a unique undergraduate career exploration experience, drawing upon the resources available in the National Weather Center’s (NWC) state, federal, and university groups. A brief overview of the program will discuss the administration of the program, including recruitment and the selection process. Posters advertising the program are sent to over 200 US colleges and universities including all known meteorology programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, many Hispanic Serving Institutions, and several individuals and organizations. E-mail is sent to UNIDATA and other email lists. A committee composed of professional meteorologists with the varying degrees and levels of research found in Norman select ten students from across the country who represent the diversity of that year’s applicant pool. Students are individually paired according to mutual interest with a professional meteorologist in the National Weather Center who mentors them through a 10-week research project. Each participant writes a 10-page paper and gives an American Meteorological Society conference-style presentation at the end of the program. Numerous field trips, lectures, and workshops expose the students to a broad spectrum of research topics and careers and provide an introduction to UNIX computers, statistics, severe weather forecasting, and scientific communication.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of 2001-2004 applications, overview administration of the program, share project activities and findings from the 2001 through 2004 programs, and introduce future innovations.

Analysis of over 360 applications received since 2001 provides a proxy for the pulse of our undergraduates through a self-selected sample of those undergraduates specifically interested in careers in weather research. Over 60 different colleges and universities across the US are represented each year. Approximately half of recent applicants are women. Two-thirds of 2001-2004 applicants and about half of 2003 applicants known to be ethnic and racial minority status are meteorology or atmospheric science majors. When 2003 applicants were asked how they heard about our program, 29% indicated an advisor, professor, or other person in their academic department and 24% indicated the Internet; an additional 8% specifically cited the REU search on NSF’s web site. Additional analysis will include both characteristics and trends over time of such factors as: age, major, grades, courses, size of undergraduate institution, computer experience, reasons for applying, and preference in research areas.

The NWC REU program is now in the first year of a Two-Year Extension for Special Creativity from the National Science Foundation through which we will attempt to 1) stimulate increased opportunity for undergraduate research by bringing in two visiting faculty to co-mentor students in the 2005 summer program, 2) explore how these programs are effective in helping students make a career choice, 3) help our participants network with each other and with the broader atmospheric science community, and 4) send all participants to a national conference to present their research.