What is the UMEB Program at UIUC?
UMEB stands for Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology. Funds for this program come from the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for undergraduates to participate in research related to environmental biology as a way of exploring career options.
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What are the dates for the Summer Program?
The dates for Summer 2005 are June 4 through August 6.
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Who is eligible?
All UIUC freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, regardless of major or college.
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What do UMEB students do?
UMEB students work with mentors on research a minimum of 40 hours/week during a 9-week
summer program. They have a day long-orientation to field work at the start of the program.
They also attend a workshop on mentoring at the start of the summer, and several career skills workshops during the summer. They present the results of their research at a poster session held on campus at the start of the fall semester. They improve their writing skills by working
on research plans and scientific abstracts.
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Apart from a priceless research experience, what do UMEB students receive?
UMEB students receive a stipend of $3500. If they so choose, they are provided with housing and dinner in Illini Tower during Summer Session II. UMEB students receive a tuition waiver for Summer Session II, if they opt for independent study credit. If their research requires travel to a field site, the program will cover travel costs, room, and board.
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What faculty serve as mentors in the UMEB Program?
All faculty who participate in the UIUC Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology are eligible to mentor UMEB students. The list is long! You can check it online or pick a list up today.
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How is the UMEB different from other summer internship programs?
UMEB is flexible: students may work on- or off-campus with their mentors. In the past two years, UMEB students have traveled to Nicaragua, Panama, Canada, Colorado, and Florida as part of the program. Students working on campus can choose whether or not to live in Illini Tower during the summer. Students may choose their faculty mentor from the list of PEEB faculty. And UMEB projects are not limited to hard-core science research. One UMEB student, for example, explored the attitudes of citizens to global climate change; another project focused on how citizens can be encouraged to volunteer for habitat restorationprojects.
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What really counts on the application?
A committee of faculty reviews the applications. This committee is particularly interested in the personal statement, which is far more important than grades, your specific major, or pas tresearch experience (which is NOT required). A good personal statement conveys personal information, an interest in some aspect of environmental biology, and a willingness to try something new.
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