Physics & Astronomy

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Astronomy REU at the University of Wyoming

Program Overview

The University of Wyoming and the National Science Foundation sponsor a 10-week program in 2025, from May 19 through July 25. Each student will be trained to use our 2.3 meter telescope and to analyze both ground- and space-based astronomical data.  Frequent seminars will cover recent breakthroughs in astronomy, computational techniques, preparing for graduate school, best practices for written and oral presentations, and responsible research conduct.  A unique aspect of the Wyoming REU program is that all students will work together as a team on a single project. The title of the Summer 2025 project is "Searching for the Oldest and Most Metal-poor Stars in our Galaxy".

 

Support

Each participant will be awarded a stipend of $700/week, housing, a meal allowance, and travel funds for getting to and from Laramie as well as the January 2026 annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

 

Research Project

During the summer of 2025, our program will search for and characterize old and metal-poor stars within the Milky Way. Our science goals include characterizing stellar clusters and their impact on the gas and dust in the surrounding interstellar medium. Students will learn how to process and analyze astronomical spectra and imaging data, learn techniques in scientific programming, and become expert observers.

 

Location

Situated between two mountain ranges and lying at an elevation of 7,200 feet, Laramie's location provides excellent outdoor opportunities in the Rocky Mountain West. Previous REU participants have gone on hiking, climbing, biking, rafting, camping, and nature/wildlife photography excursions.  Destinations typically include Grand Tetons National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and local mountain ranges in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado.  Laramie's unique cultural flavor combines elements of the rugged rural west with the cosmopolitan aspects of an intellectual center.  By car, Laramie is approximately two hours from Denver.

 

Application Details

Interested students may apply here beginning November 15, 2024: https://etap.nsf.gov/award/7369/opportunity/9922

Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible.

We hope you are excited about our REU program, but note that students who apply to multiple programs have a much higher rate of being accepted somewhere.  Here is a link to a list of those sites: https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5045

Inquiries may be made to Program Director Professor Daniel Dale at uw.astronomy.reu@gmail.com

Application deadline: February 15, 2025

Program offers will be made March 3, 2025