WEST is a graduate student fellowship program at the University of Utah that links graduate students in the sciences with K-12 schools. WEST fellows partner with teachers to develop lesson plans, lead field trips and provide tools that facilitate inquiry and discovery-based learning.  The fellowship requires a time commitment of 8-10 hours per week including time spent in a K-12 classroom and participation in a weekly cross-disciplinary research and pedagogy seminar.

All applicants for a WEST fellowship must be accepted for graduate studies in the departments of Geology and Geophysics, Meteorology, Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Biology, Chemistry or Physics at the University of Utah.  Students from the Professional Master’s of Science & Technology program are also invited to submit applications.

WEST fellowships offer an $18,000 base stipend for ten months of participation (August-June) plus tuition and mandatory fees.  Additional summer compensation may be arranged via project participation and individual academic departments.

If you would like to be considered for a WEST fellowship, please send a brief letter (2 pages maximum) including your name, discipline, current stage in graduate program (e.g. 2nd year MS student), name of your research advisor, any teaching experience, and a statement about what you can contribute to the WEST program.  Please also send a letter of recommendation from your research advisor and a resume or brief CV.

Application letters and CVs should be sent via email to:  holly.godsey@utah.edu by MARCH 13, 2009.  For more information about WEST, please contact Holly Godsey, WEST Director, or visit http://www.earth.utah.edu/west.