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What former REU students say about our program
"The Montana State University solar physics REU was an absolutely
incredible experience. It really opened my eyes to the world of solar
physics. My research area alone exposed me to a whole new vault of
knowledge about the sun and it's magnetic field. The solar physics
lectures expanded this knowledge to cover pretty much the entire sun!
The most incredible part was being a part of the scientific process.
No longer was I just studying material out of a book that had been
proven a thousand times over. I was now applying this knowledge to
the real world! The research was incredible, and so was Montana. The
mountains were a bit sharper than the hills we have here in Georgia,
and climbing them was the experience of a lifetime. In fact, I ended
up staying for a week after the program to roam around Montana for a
while. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who enjoys
staring at the sun!"
Chris Lowder, 2007 Participant
Physics major, Georgia Institute of Technology
"During my summer stay in the Solar REU program, I learned voluminous
amounts. I picked up another programming language and learned about
the biggest problems with our understanding of the sun. I feel like I
even got a glimpse of what physics is all about, which has less to do
with all the equations memorized from textbooks and more about trying
with our little minds to understand nature in spite of its apparent
desire to be utterly incomprehensible. The mentors were great and
helped bring us into this world of current research. Trips to
Yellowstone and Glacier National parks provided great weekend
outings. Overall it was a great experience where I got to work really
hard in something that was both challenging and rewarding, and in my
free time I was allowed to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Montana.
Anyone with any interest in understanding the mysteries of nature, and
particularly the sun, would be lucky to take part in this program. "
Nicholas Hill,
2007 Participant
Physics major, Grinnell College
"My Solar REU experience at MSU was an incredible
opportunity. The
mentors in the program were so supportive and encouraging and at the
same time I was given a great deal of independence in my work. We were
taught the tools we needed to be successful in our research and we
continued to learn throughout the summer with various lectures and
seminars. I learned so much in the course of only ten weeks. Not
just about Solar Physics, but also new computer skills, learning to
present my research, and even information about applying to grad school
and being a graduate student. I also really enjoyed living in Bozeman
for the summer. We took trips to Yellowstone, Glacier and the
Beartooths along with other activities every weekend. I made some great
friends in the program and was so pleased with my experience that it
was
hard to leave at the end of the summer."
Emily McLinden,
2006 Participant
Physics major, Loyola University Chicago
"Go to Montana, work hard and have fun. My experience of
the Solar
REU was positive throughout. At work, we learnt rapidly and were
soon given charge of our own research projects. I was fortunate to
have a mentor who gave me both the independence I desired and the
support I needed. He was also a good friend and our work was very
rewarding. At play, I made a lot of friends from the Solar and other
REU programs. Then there was Star Party, Glacier National Park,
hiking, floating, climbing, soccer, Lost, bars, movies, kickball,
Shakespeare, pizza, ice-cream..".
Alexander Russell, 2006 Participant
Mathematics and Theoretical Physics major, University of
St. Andrews, Scotland
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