Summer 2024 ATOC REU in Data Science
Our application for the Summer 2024 program is now closed. We plan to notify applicants of admission decisions by April 1, 2024. If you have any questions about the program, we encourage you to contact us at atoc.reu@colorado.edu.
We plan to have a fully in-person 2024 REU this summer.
Who are we? ATOC is the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. We are a community of scientists and students with a common goal of better understanding the Earth system. We want you to be a part of this community!
What is our REU? Our REU provides research and educational opportunities for undergraduate students historically excluded from STEM. We strive to enable exploration of what it means to be a scientist and create a meaningful, supportive, and inclusive research community. Through mentorship by active professional scientists and active research, we facilitate the development of crucial skills, including computer programming, data analysis, and scientific communication to enable students to envision possible careers as professional scientists.
"Initially I made up my mind about not pursuing a postgraduate degree, but the ATOC REU program convinced me otherwise. In an unfamiliar field for a Computer Science major, I should have felt deterred, but my mentors, cohort, and the program gave me the tools to succeed. The ATOC REU program is an experience that left me with a lifelong impression that has convinced me to pursue a career in research and data."
--Victor Avalos, 2022 REU student
"I came to the ATOC REU program with very little Python experience but had great mentorship throughout the process and walked away much more confident in my coding abilities. The ATOC REU program provided me the opportunity to not only conduct research, but to hone those skills and truly thrive in a supportive environment. This program gave me the certainty that I want to continue my Atmospheric Science pursuits into grad school so I may continue to research and develop my knowledge in this field I so truly love. "
--Jaime Herriott, 2022 REU student
"Coming into the ATOC REU program I was a programmer with no experience in research or atmospheric/oceanic science. The summer experience allowed me to learn the research process, cool Python libraries, and better communication of ideas. My mentors and peers helped and pushed me to become a better researcher. The program opened doors for me to continue research work and use the tools and methods I learned."
--Oscar Gandara, 2021 REU student
"Before I started the REU, I only knew the basics of Python coding and was very uncomfortable with public speaking. After the program, I took the skills I learned that summer and applied it during my senior research, and I cannot emphasize how much my professors saw the difference! I'm a much more confident researcher and presenter thanks to this program and its amazing mentors."
--Nicolle Cirino, 2021 REU student
"Before the program I was familiar with Python, but I would say my coding experience was pretty basic. The training bootcamp was intense but extremely helpful, and I can safely say this REU gave me the tools to be able to code on my own. The program also gave me a peek into what a life in academia looks like, since I was able to interact with different professors and graduate students."
--Nahir Guadalupe-Diaz, 2021 REU student
"This REU was the icing on the cake of my undergrad education. I learned so much about coding, grad school, research, and potential career pathways. This REU provides a tremendous opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive as a scientist!"
-- Sara Womantree, 2022 REU student
"Before attending the ATOC REU I had no prior experience with atmospheric/oceanic sciences, academic research, or coding within the data science field. After completing my research, I learned a lot about the topics within atmospheric/oceanic sciences, using python as a data science tool, and what academic research entailed. With my experience at the ATOC REU it helped me learn that I was interested in data science as well as research."
-- Isaac Valdez, 2021 REU student