We will not have a summer program for 2025. We hope to return in 2026, pending funding decisions at the NSF.
The LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) aims to better understand the root causes of phosphorus pollution and solutions while offering undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research.
Phosphorus is a pernicious and costly environmental pollutant. In areas of intensive agriculture, lakes are toxic at certain times of the year with blue-green algae bloom because of phosphorus pollution.
Solving the phosphorus pollution problem is not simple. A complex mix of social, economic, and environmental factors influences phosphorus use and misuse.
Students who participate in LAKES will spend two months in beautiful Menomonie, Wisconsin, training under research mentors in biology, economics, anthropology, engineering, psychology, and political science.
Our interdisciplinary approach seeks to better prepare students in their analytical skills while also furthering our knowledge for improving eutrophic lakes, particularly in the Midwestern U.S.
Our approach involves close work with community and governmental partners, local citizens, and policymakers. Students get the opportunity to see their research directly impact the community around them and make real-world contributions to new science and policy.
