Attracting Non-Soils Undergraduates to Soil Science Research Opportunities.

We have recruited 8-10 non-soils undergraduates for soil science-focused research each summer during the past two years through the Basic and Environmental Soil Science Training (BESST) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Students generally leave with new appreciation for soil science and how their skills and training from other disciplines can apply, but this does not neccessarily lead to a shift toward pursuing graduate opportunities and/or careers in soil science. Survey data and observations from the program will be presented.