Science to policy
Ways to support
Ways to support
The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center invites highly motivated undergraduates who are interested in pursuing careers in the life sciences to apply to our 10-week "Wetlands in a Modern World" summer internship program.
Wetlands are among the most functionally important ecosystems on Earth but are being impacted at unprecedented levels.
This program is made possible through generous support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Please read below for more details about the program, and contact the Intern Program Coordinator, Amy Monroe, at ammonroe@lc.edu with any additional questions.
Amy Monroe, Intern Program Coordinator
NGRREC/L&C
One Confluence Way
East Alton, IL 62024
ammonroe@lc.edu
Phone: (618) 468-2910
In this summer program, students will employ a modern integrative approach to wetland science that makes use of recent technological and theoretical developments across the geochemical, biological, and physical sciences.
Students will conduct research at NGRREC’s state-of-the-art field station in Alton, IL and local field sites situated at the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers. Under the mentorship of NGRREC scientists, students will gain experience in project design, field and lab-based research methods, data collection and analysis, and present results as a scientific paper, create a scientific poster and participate in a public poster session, and showcase their project at our annual NGRREC-REU research symposium to increase science communication skills.
Our 2025 summer internship will run May 27, 2025 – August 1, 2025. Students will receive a living stipend of $8,000.00, relocation reimbursement (up to $500.00) and $1,000 research project funds per project
Wetlands are among the most unique and functionally important ecosystems on Earth. Wetlands not only provide critical ecological services (e.g., filtering runoff, attenuating floodwaters, recharging groundwater supplies, removing pollution and providing fish and wildlife habitat) but are key drivers of local economies due to their importance for agriculture, recreation and transportation.
In the modern world, wetlands are often heavily influenced by a diverse suite of natural and anthropogenic processes acting across the landscape at a variety of spatiotemporal scales, including land use change, pollution, invasive species and climate change. The increased demand for land and water, as well as a rapidly changing climate, has resulted in an accelerated rate of loss and degradation of wetlands across the globe. There is now a critical need for wetland research to ensure the long-term ecological and economic health of our watersheds and to assess current restoration and management practices.
There have also been advances in the capability and accessibility of emerging technologies scientists use to study the natural world and of quantitative frameworks that explain and predict the structure and function of the biosphere. Recent technological developments include automated tracking, remote sensors and eDNA. Conceptual advances include a renewed focus on the flux of matter, energy, and information within and across ecosystems and efforts to unify ecology across time, space, and levels of biological organization.
The time is right for combining these two issues to create a multidisciplinary modern science of wetlands that integrates new technologies and approaches and addresses global issues of concern, such as pollution, habitat loss, and climate change.
Wetland science is a unique discipline that blends chemistry, hydrology, ecology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Accordingly, research as part of this REU program will be multi-disciplinary in its approach to the student experience. Ultimately, understanding wetlands in the modern world will require a unique and unified approach that applies emerging technologies with questions at the forefront of the physical and biological sciences.
NGRREC’s REU program, “Wetland Science in a Modern World,” focuses on a modern integrative approach to studying wetlands using recent technological and theoretical developments with a goal of unifying wetland science across scales.
The program will deepen a student's understanding of wetland ecosystems while advancing STEM skills, scientific literacy and ability to think critically about environmental issues.
NGRREC has a range of research labs students will have the opportunity to work in, which house equipment such as water analytics, climate chambers, aquarium arrays, and more.
Projects can include fieldwork - from local wetlands to conservation areas - and study any aspect of the wetland ecosystem, from water and soil quality to plastic pollution.
Our program also has a strong focus on career development, including a career panel, workshops and many opportunities to interact with NGRREC staff from our Research, Education and Outreach divisions.
Students will also gain experience in science communication with the public through involvement in NGRREC's community outreach STREAM series.
The program will provide financial benefits to students, including:
Students will spend 10 weeks in the program, during which they will work closely with their assigned mentor(s) and other members of their research team on a variety of lab and field-based research projects. The overall goal of this program is to provide students with hands-on experiences in multiple scientific disciplines.
During the first week, students will be introduced to their mentors and research team, the REU program, NGRREC and wetland science in a modern world.
Weekly activities include lectures focusing on current theory and practices of wetland science, as well as professional development workshops in scientific communication, manuscript preparation, career panel, research poster development and discussion of environmental racism and diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusivity in STEM.
Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to attend events to foster relationships between students and members of the NGRREC community, including BBQs and a variety of activities (e.g., trips on the Mississippi River, to local museums, to the St. Louis Zoo, etc.). Interns will also visit local field sites to experience different aquatic, floodplain and upland habitats of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
The REU program will culminate on the second to last day with a research symposium where students present their work to local, regional and visiting scientists, students and other interested participants.
Students will be matched with one or two NGRREC scientists who, together with their research team, will provide guidance and support on a research project throughout the 10-week program. Students are matched with mentors based on a list of specific research topics they select during their application process. Our program goal is to provide students with hands-on experience in multiple scientific disciplines. Note: the program director will attempt to accommodate these rankings but cannot promise each student will get their top-ranked selection.
