EAST ALTON – Throughout the summer, the 2015 Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) students project, funded through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, conducted archeological and ecological fieldwork and laboratory analysis.

“These students have come together to bridge topics in archeology and ecology through new interdisciplinary perspectives that challenge how we look at human-environmental interactions in this region,” said Carol Colaninno, principal investigator for the NSF REU project.

The Center for American Archeology, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠) and Illinois State Museum invite researchers, students, educators and the general public to view research poster presentations of the REU students’ findings from 2-4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at NGRREC’s Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station, located at One Confluence Way, East Alton, Illinois. Light refreshments will be served.

The culmination of their interdisciplinary research efforts will be presented in the first REU symposium entitled, “Understanding Temporal Variability among Fish Populations and Communities at the Confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers through the Integration of Archeological and Ecological Perspectives.”

“Please join us to learn about this unique program and the innovative research our students have conducted,” said NGRREC℠ Director of Environmental Education and Citizen Science Natalie Marioni. “This is a terrific opportunity for the community to support students in their scientific endeavors while learning a little more about the ecology and archeology of our region. This also will be a great chance for other interested college students to learn more about the National Science Foundation REU in anticipation of applying next year.”

For more information about this event, contact Marioni at (618) 468-2783 or nmarioni@lc.edu.

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center is a partnership of Lewis and Clark Community College and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For more information about NGRREC℠ visit www.ngrrec.org.