EDUCATION
The CHEER Hub offers undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars a diverse set of engaging research and professional development opportunities.
The Next Generation
The CHEER Hub is investing in the next generation of scholars. The Hub’s education goals reflect its commitment to fostering inclusive and engaged inquiry; they center on broadening participation in disaster science and practice, and enriching disaster education in the natural and engineering sciences by bringing diversity, equity, and engagement to the forefront.
YEAR-ROUND OPPORTUNITIES
Students and postdoctoral scholars participate in CHEER research at all core universities. Activities include:
Discipline Dyads
Traditional advisor/advisee mentoring focused on discipline-based knowledge and professional development goals.
Student/postdoc Cohort
Bi-weekly, virtual seminars for students and postdocs that include: (1) Professional development; (2) Peer-to-peer research mentoring; and (3) CHEER research integration.
Summer Lab Exchanges
Students and postdocs in the Hub can spend the summer working with another Hub researcher at another Hub university.
DRC IT!
DRC IT! Postdocs and students will practice communication skills by working on CHEER-specific DRCTIt! materials.
Quick Response
Grad students and postdocs have opportunities to deploy for interdisciplinary quick response data gathering in disaster-impacted communities with experienced Hub researchers.
In-person Networking
In-person Student-focused Networking: Each year, Hub students, postdocs, and researchers will meet for networking and research integration opportunities.
APPLY NOW: 2025 SUMMER SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Each summer, an interdisciplinary group of undergraduate students and Bill Anderson Fund graduate scholars participate in a multi-week summer research experience. Now entering its third year, CHEER is seeking three undergraduate and three graduate students from a variety of disciplines to join its 2025 cohort. Selected students will receive opportunities for professional development and research training. Download the 2025 Summer Scholars Program Flyer for a more detailed overview of the program.
The application can be accessed here and is due by 11:59pm EST on Friday, February 14th, 2025.
- Dates. The year’s curriculum is comprised of two parts: two weeks of virtual pre- and post-program support and six weeks of in-person research experience. The in-person portion of the program begins on Tuesday, May 27th and ends on Thursday, July 3rd. The first and final weeks of the program are asynchronous and scheduled according to participants” availability.
- Location. Scholars will be housed in on-campus apartments – each person with a private bedroom – at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.
- Finances. Students will receive a $6,000 stipend with additional funds to cover travel and housing.
- Research Opportunities. Students will work closely with fellow cohort members and CHEER faculty mentors to develop projects that cultivate their individual interests and training. These projects are developed in collaboration with the larger CHEER research team and involve community engagement.
For more information, contact CHEER Education Director Meghan Millea or see the 2025 Summer Scholars Program Announcement.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! This program was so amazing and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my summer any other way. I truly feel this developed my professional career, I had so much fun with the professors and students, and being able to present made me feel so proud. So thank you for this opportunity!”
— A 2023 CHEER Summer Scholar
“I think the interactions with people and relationships formed with my peers and the faculty we interacted with were very valuable. I loved learning from people with different backgrounds and perspectives. This program has impacted me in a great way. It has helped me grow as a person and has helped me solidify my own educational and research interests.”
— A 2023 CHEER Summer Scholar
“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and think this was a great program! CHEER has helped me in so many ways, and I’m eager to continue this important work.”
— A 2023 CHEER Summer Scholar
COLLABORATIONS
The McNair Association of Professionals’ Scholars Program and the Bill Anderson Fund are highly respected national organizations supporting students from underrepresented groups. We are fortunate to partner with them on recruitment and providing research opportunities.
