Research Experience for Undergraduates and Research Experience for Future Farmers
Program Description
STEPS is now accepting applications for its 2025 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Learn more and ask your questions at the virtual STEPS REU info session on Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 at 3 pm (ET). Register here. And you can explore the experiences of past participants here.
Fifteen students for a variety of disciplines will begin the summer together at a one-week orientation. Here, students will learn more about the Center, convergence research, and the wicked problem of phosphorus sustainability. During the remaining nine weeks, students will work on independent research projects within the Center under the mentorship of STEPS Scholars and faculty. Students will be placed on projects that align with their research and career interests at one of the nine STEPS academic institutions. In addition to research projects in STEPS laboratories, all REU participants will learn skills in convergence research through a collaborative cohort project. They will reconvene at the end of the program to present their individual research projects and their cohort project as well as participate in professional development activities.
Considering the long-term nature of the “25-in-25” vision, at least five REU positions are targeted for applicants who indicate future career plans in farming or related agricultural professions, forming a Research Experience for Future Farmers (REF) track within the program. REF-track participants will be placed in labs/projects supportive of their interests, be co-mentored by a research mentor and an agricultural extension faculty member, and be provided opportunities to present farmer perspectives to the REU cohort.
Please contact steps-contact@ncsu.edu if you have any questions or concerns.
Program Details
- Program Dates: May 20, 2025 – July 31, 2025 (tentative)
- Application priority deadline: January 31, 2025 Applications will be accepted after this deadline until all spots are filled
- Stipend: $6,500 in addition to on-campus housing at the host institution and travel to STEPS institutions.
- Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and be a US Citizen or permanent resident. We encourage applicants from a variety of disciplines including but not limited to chemistry, environmental engineering, materials science, computer science, plant sciences, biochemistry, economics, sociology, and biology. Students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields are strongly encouraged to apply.
Program Requirements
- Participants must be available to begin the program on the start date and are required to attend the entire ten-week program. Any proposed conflicts should be included on the application.
- Participants are expected to participate in the program full time (Monday – Friday). Courses, activities, and/or jobs that conflict with this are strongly discouraged. Any conflicts must be discussed with program administrators and faculty mentors before participating in the program.
- Participants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university with at least one remaining semester before graduation. (Graduating seniors are not eligible.)
Participating Faculty
Jango Bhadha (University of Florida, Everglades Research and Extension Center, Belle Glade, Florida)*
The intern will be working on topics related to soil, water, and nutrient management within the Everglades Agricultural Area of South Florida. Specifically, we will be researching treatment technologies for phosphorus mitigation from agricultural water. The intern will be trained to conduct field sampling and lab analyses, and potential for co-authorship on reports and publications.
Sandra Guzmán (University of Florida, Indian River Research and Extension Center, Fort Pierce, Florida)
The Smart Irrigation and Hydrology (SIAH) lab focuses on developing smart irrigation technologies, such as AI-driven irrigation decision support systems, to optimize water use in agriculture. We also conduct hydrology research to improve water management practices and work closely with local stakeholders using a “bottom-up approach” for the adoption of practical yet accurate in-field technologies.
Chris Muhich (Arizona State University)*
Computational evaluation of the interactions of P-containing moieties with solid materials. Students will learn about computational chemistry, using informatics/machine learning, and using high-performance computing to solve the P challenge.
Paul Westerhoff (Arizona State University)*
Adsorption and surface catalysis of organic and inorganic phosphorus compounds to metal oxides using a high-throughput robot.
Justin Baker (NC State University)
Development and application of economic models that reflect spatial and temporal dependencies between markets, natural resource systems, infrastructure, and policy factors
Ross Sozzani (NC State University)
Plant biosensing of inorganic and decomposed organic phosphorus
Dan Obenour (NC State University)
Our research focuses on quantifying P flows across terrestrial and aquatic systems at the national level. It also involves analyzing management strategies and considering water quality impacts. We use data analysis and computational modeling.
Jan Genzer (NC State University)
Our group is involved in the design of a hydrogel system that enables selective capturing and release of inorganic phosphorous. The system characteristics include high tunability toward the composition of incoming streams, 99% recovering capacity, recyclability, low cost, and compatibility with existing water purification technologies. The work involves synthesis, characterization, and performance evaluation of hydrogels in batch and continuous flow configurations.
Kirill Efimenko (NC State University)
Our group develops scalable hydrogel systems capable of capturing and releasing on-demand of inorganic phosphorous. We are interested in hiring an REU student who will be involved in studying the synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of hydrogel systems to improve inorganic phosphorous capturing efficiency.
Chris Gorman (NC State University)
Chemical synthesis of phosphate-capturing polymeric materials and their efficacy in phosphate capture and recovery.
Owen Duckworth (NC State University)
My research group focuses on understanding the cycling of nutrients and contaminants in soils. A REU student in my lab would focus on comparing X-ray based analytical approaches to other methods of assessing P concentration and bioavailability in soil.
Gail Jones (NC State University)
Student will work on data analysis of the Center’s education research and help develop and trial new educational activities and demos for the public.
Jay Rickabaugh (NC State University)
The REU student will work on a research project investigating Soil & Water Conservation Districts. This will involve research into the state laws that govern them, analysis of their activities, and interview/survey development for elected and professional staff.
Yara Yingling (NC State University)
Research focuses on the application of computational materials science and machine learning techniques to investigate the use of proteins for the removal and recovery of phosphorus from water.
Brooke Mayer (Marquette)
Our lab focuses on developing approaches to improve phosphorus removal and recovery from different water matrices. We utilize a bio-inspired approach to leverage nature’s well-honed processes for accessing and utilizing phosphorus. The research that we do emphasizes experimental approaches in lab settings, with integration with other project team members to integrate modeling aspects.
Anne Fanatico and Matt Ogwu (Appalachian State University)
Our team works to improve the sustainability of local agriculture and food systems, particularly phosphorus (P) flow and nutrient cycling. Students can expect to assist in the campus community garden and with local non-profit organizations. REU students will also assist with phosphorus cycling research, including heathy soil microbes. Students will develop convergent science and lab skills, leadership skills, and build community with local farmers.
Rebecca Muenich (Arkansas)
Our group works on the application of modeling, geospatial analysis, and remote sensing to investigate landscape-scale solutions to phosphorus sustainability. Our projects primarily involve computational work, but occasionally may include a field work component.
Daniel O’Nolan (RTI International)
We develop porous solids for the capture of phosphorous from water. REU students would work in a variety of wet labs and characterization labs towards preparing novel porous materials, characterizing their physicochemical properties, and benchmarking their phosphorous capture performance. The student would learn synthetic skills, fundamentals of characterization (spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, microscopy, surface area analysis), and writing reports/publications to contextualize their findings.
Eric McLamore and Diana Vanegas (Clemson)
We work in sensor/biosensor development for quantification of P. The project will focus on nanomaterial deposition to engineer custom coatings on carbon electrodes for P detection. We also work with communities for environmental monitoring, and a small part of the REU project may be application of the sensor (this component is TBD). The primary focus will be sensor development (wet lab) and electronics
*Summer housing will not be arranged for students located at Arizona State University (ASU) or EREC, though a housing stipend can be provided. We also encourage local applicants for students interested in projects at these locations.
Past Participants
REU Scholar Reflections
Click on the videos below to hear past participants’ reflections on their experience with STEPS.