The aim of the UMES CREST-CISCEP program is to recruit, retain, mentor, and prepare undergraduate students for graduate studies in the marine and environmental sciences, with a focus on coastal ecosystem dynamics and processes relative to land use and climate variability.
Undergraduates at UMES will be selected to participate in the program to conduct research in one of CREST-CISCEP’s three research areas. Students are paid on an hourly basis. Opportunities are available during the academic year and summer to students who are United States citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.
Students that are interested in applying will be asked to complete an employment application, provide transcripts, and two letters of recommendation from instructors who are able to comment on their ability in science and interest in pursuing a graduate degree in ocean sciences or a related area.
If you are interested in learning more about the CREST-CISCEP program, email Paulinus Chigbu at pchigbu@umes.edu.
Benefits of joining the CREST Program
CREST-CISCEP students will participate in development activities including:
- Academic Enhancement: Students in the program will be advised by their mentors on course selections and number of credit hours to enroll in each semester. Students who participate in the CREST program will be required to attend biweekly Student Development Seminars that focus on professional development and peer networks. Students will be encouraged to present their research at the Annual UMES Graduate Research Symposium and regional professional meetings.
- Research Experience: Students who participate in the CREST program will benefit from exposure to hands-on research experiences in marine environmental sciences. Students will learn how to develop research ideas, conduct literature searches, discuss graduate programs with their mentors, ask probing questions, design studies to answer the questions, analyze their data, write research reports, and prepare slides and posters for presentation at scientific meetings.
For example CREST students will:
- Conduct research at UMES or extramurally at other institutions (e.g. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science – Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology), or at federal research laboratories (e.g. NOAA) in the summer
- Make oral or poster presentations at scientific meetings such as the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)
- Receive guidance on how to apply for graduate scholarships/fellowships (e.g. NSF graduate fellowship, NOAA graduate fellowship or scholarship) prior to completing their undergraduate degree programs
- Be encouraged to apply for and secure full-time internships for the summer
