HERO Fellowship
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO) program is a unique
undergraduate-graduate-faculty experience that engages in research on
human-environment relationships in Massachusetts. HERO Fellows conduct hands-on
research under the mentorship of Clark University faculty. The research
conducted by HERO Fellows often leads to scholarly publications, presentations
at academic conferences across the USA, and awards and honors.
This eight-week curriculum (June 8th through July 31st) is sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation
through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site (REU Site) program.
HERO Fellows analyze the causes and consequences of global environmental changes
at local scales in faculty-led research projects. Each Fellow is paired with a
Clark faculty mentor and other researchers on the HERO team in one of three
research domains. Fellows will learn how to use various research methods,
including GIS, remote sensing, geostatistical modeling, interviews and focus
groups.
To read a brochure about HERO select one of the following:
high resolution pdf (1443KB),
medium resolution pdf (1070KB),
low resolution pdf (205KB).
RESEARCH AREAS:
HERO engages three main areas of research.
• Vulnerability Analysis: You will explore interactions among suburbanization,
climate and water management, examining processes at multiple scales (household,
town, region, state).What is the association, in suburban Boston, between public
water management and patterns of household lawn care? How do land-use
regulations interact with this association, and how might such regulations limit
or enhance the ability of communities to reduce their vulnerabilities to water
scarcity in the face of continued suburbanization and changes in precipitation?
• Land Change Prediction: You will examine how to design, use and evaluate
georeferenced computer models of how humans change the landscape. How can
information about historic human behavior help anticipate and guide future human
behavior concerning the way humans change the landscape?
• Forest Change Monitoring: You will apply remote sensing data and technology to
monitor large-area forest-cover change in Massachusetts. What are the patterns
and processes associated with timber harvest and forest growth in Massachusetts?
How can remote sensing help us accurately and consistently monitor these
regional scale changes?
COMPENSATION:
HERO Fellows are paid $4,000 for the eight weeks of full-time research (June
8th through July 31st), in addition to a room-and-board allowance of $300 per
week, a round-trip plane ticket from your home to Worcester, Mass., and an
expenses-paid trip to the March 2010 Association of American Geographers
scholarly meeting in Washington, D.C. to
present your research to an audience of like-minded scholars and professionals.
The map below shows the locations of the approximately 200 inquiries HERO received during its 2009 application season.
View Larger Map
APPLYING:
Based on a competitive application process, each year the HERO program
selects a diverse group of undergraduate students from a variety of programs
across the country to be HERO Fellows. HERO values students who demonstrate
energetic and inquisitive minds, and who are fearless when charting new
intellectual territory. Previous course work in human or environmental
geography—such as urban and population studies, GIS, landscape ecology, land-use
planning, statistics and remote sensing—is helpful but not required. There is no
minimum GPA or required class standing, but evidence of outstanding scholarly
and professional potential is essential. Because HERO is supported with NSF
funds, if you are not a Clark student you must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its
possessions to apply. Non-Clark students must also still be enrolled full
time as undergraduates during the Fall of 2009.
If you are a Clark Student:
Download the 2009-10 HERO Fellowship
Application (pdf). The application is due by Sunday, March 1,
2009.
If you are a not a Clark Student:
Download the 2009-10 HERO Fellowship
Application (pdf). The application is due by Sunday, March 1,
2009. Please note that application materials may be emailed to cpolsky@clarku.edu.
If you have questions about applying to HERO, contact:
Dr. Colin Polsky
Assistant Professor of Geography
(508) 421-3828
Clark University – School of Geography
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610-1477
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