Published on May 14, 2015 by Sean Flynt  
REU 2015 students

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has renewed funding for a project proposed by Samford University biological and environmental sciences professor Malia Fincher. Samford's Howard College of Arts and Sciences will receive approximately $329,774 over the next three years for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.

The nine-week REU program, led by Fincher with co-principal investigator Betsy Dobbins, unites students and faculty mentors from the fields of biology, chemistry, geography and pharmaceutical sciences to work collaboratively on projects in Alabama’s Oak Mountain State Park. REU participants perform full-time research and participate in weekly workshops on professional skills, career opportunities and the graduate school application process.

Dobbins is Paul N. Propst Professor of Natural Sciences.

The program is open to U.S. citizens who are currently college sophomores or juniors. Participants are selected based on academic record, professional goals, and potential for outstanding research. Outstanding undergraduate students who have limited opportunities to participate in research at their home institutions and students from underrepresented minority groups are particularly encouraged to apply. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.