Call for mentors, 2008 SURE program

Greetings, SCEC scientists,

It is time to recruit for summer 2008 SCEC SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) interns. The first step in this process is to post SURE mentors and projects on-line. If you are potentially interested in serving as a SURE mentor, please follow the guidelines below.

With your participation, we can look forward to another banner summer of internships. Thanks!

NEW THIS YEAR: Submit your projects on-line, using the SCEC CIS (Community Information System), at www.scec.org/signin.

To have your project viewed by the most candidates, please submit before December 15.

As a potential mentor, it is important for you to realize:

1) Internships have become key items on C.V.s and resumes. This has produced a broader array of internship candidates, but each year we face more competition for top candidates, and each year the students feel more pressure to select just the right summer program.

2) SCEC has very limited funding for the SURE program and that money is best spent on activities such as the all-intern field trip. Thus, mentors must provide $5k for a research stipend.

2a) Funding terms are as follows:
+ Mentor pays $5000 research stipend and any local institutional overhead on this $5k.
+ SCEC pays travel stipend to internship.
+ SCEC pays full cost of attending the intern field trip.
+ SCEC pays full cost of attending the SCEC Annual Meeting.

3) The earlier in 2008 that you can guarantee stipend funding, the better the chances of landing your preferred candidates.

4) In February and March, intern applications will be available for on-line review. You will need to be available to review candidates in order for SCEC to find you an intern!

5) Consider projects for freshmen and non-majors. There are many exciting students who have interest but not background in earthquake science. A summer internship can be a great way to attract new students to the field.

6) Consider projects for small teams of interns. Usually, mentoring 2-4 interns takes no more effort than 1 intern, because the students help each other.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Sue Perry
(perry@usc.edu).

Sue Perry
Exec. Director, ELCA
Office of Experiential Learning and Career Advancement
Southern California Earthquake Center
University of Southern California
3651 Trousdale Parkway, MC 0742, ZHS 156
Los Angeles, CA 90089

office: 213.821.6340
mobile: 213.840.2470
FAX: 213.740.0011
perry@usc.edu