Program Details

Students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program may apply for this nationally competitive fellowship.

Participate in a paid, intensive, 10-week summer program, with housing and travel provided, conducting an independent research project under the guidance of a PhD-level mentor.

Gain direct experience on all aspects of a research project, from reading the primary literature, experimental design, collecting and analyzing data, to presenting the results at a final symposium.

Develop critical thinking, independence, self-confidence, perseverance, and collaborative skills. Interact with REUs from other Chicago institutions, and benefit from workshops on science communication and professional development.

Learn skills you can apply anywhere. The Center for Tree Science also offers opportunities to return to continue your work.

Learn more about potential 2026 projects.

The 10-week research program includes:

• $7,500 stipend
• Housing, research supplies, and travel
• Professional development workshops in science communication, responsible conduct in research, resume building, and more

Research areas:

• Soil and forest ecology
• Conservation biology
• Root biology
• Plant pathology
• Plant systematics and biodiversity
• Urban forests and arboriculture
• Plant breeding and horticulture

Learn more:

• Present your research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.
• Work on unique projects.
• Meet new people and grow your network.

Application Information

The REU program includes a stipend, covers housing and travel expenses, and runs from Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, July 31, 2026. Online applications close on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (CT).

Our mentorship program engages students and mentors from a range of backgrounds to create the scientific advances necessary so trees and society benefit equitably and sustainably. The program focuses on strengthening research skills for all participants, particularly early-stage undergraduates and those from institutions with limited research opportunities.

REU participants spend the summer working in Arboretum research laboratories, contributing to ongoing projects and collaborating closely with scientists and peers. All applicants are guaranteed equal consideration for employment.

Eligibility

To apply for the 10-week research experience program, which includes a $7,500 stipend and covers housing and travel expenses, students participating in the National Science Foundation-supported REU program must be:

• Citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.

• Currently-enrolled undergraduate students.

1. 1. 1. Students between high school and undergraduate are NOT eligible to apply.
      2. Must NOT graduate before fall 2026.
      3. Graduating seniors or recent graduates are not eligible to apply.
      4. Students who are transferring from one college or university to another, and are enrolled at neither institution during the intervening summer, are eligible to participate.

• Able to participate from May 26 to July 31, 2026. 

Application Requirements for the 2026 REU Program

Please review the following instructions in order to complete the 2026 program application by Saturday, January 31, 2026.

1. In order to apply, you will be required to create an account through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Education and Training Application (ETAP) platform. This account will allow you to browse and easily apply to multiple NSF opportunities.
2. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
3. A cover letter is not required. You will have the opportunity to provide information about your project interest and motivations within the application.
4. Be prepared to provide contact information for one reference during the NSF ETAP application process. Please choose someone who is familiar with your skills, traits, and motivation, and discuss your goals with this person
5. NSF ETAP will ask you to upload your unofficial college transcripts in order to complete the application
6. Apply for the 2026 program by Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Projects and Mentors

The Center for Tree Science REU program offers a wide range of research experiences in soil and forest ecology, conservation biology, root biology, plant systematics and biodiversity, urban forests and arboriculture, and plant breeding and horticulture.

Undergraduates applying for the 2026 program will select their projects from the list below:

Project List

• Assessing the effects of pruning on branch structure and resiliency
• Conservation and restoration of the threatened, native butternut tree
• Variation in bur oak wood anatomy and relationship to drought adaptation
• Investigating shifts in woody plant flowering time in a botanical garden and herbarium collections
• Characterization of Ash Resistance to Emerald Ash Borer
• Comparative analysis of plant-parasitic and beneficial nematode populations in burned and unburned areas
• Uncovering drivers of soil microbial biodiversity in the city
• The invisible carbon cost: Unlocking the drivers of tree root exudation

Project Descriptions

Assessing the effects of pruning on branch structure and resiliency

Mentors: Jake Miesbauer, Abby Tumino

Summary: Tree pruning is one of the most common arboricultural practices. When done properly, structural pruning can help improve tree resilience to external forces such as wind, rain, and snow. With predicted storm frequency and intensity on the rise, it is important for us to improve our understanding of how to enhance trees’ resilience to storm-related environmental stressors, thereby improving their longevity. In this project, the student will investigate how different pruning methods and intensities affect tree structural properties and, by extension, their resilience to being damaged during storm events. Students will perform different levels of pruning on tree branches and assess the effects on resulting leaf volume and shifts in center of mass. Findings from this project will help to inform practitioners on better tree management strategies.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum, lab and field components; field component may include adverse conditions with hot and humid weather and biting insects.

Student profile: Interest in urban forestry and arboriculture. Some coursework related to forestry and experience with statistical programming is helpful but not required.

Conservation and restoration of the threatened, native butternut tree

Mentors: Sean Hoban, Emma Leavens

Summary: This REU experience will help to identify the knowledge and tools to help threatened species recover and thrive, focusing on adaptive capacity and resilience of populations. In summer 2026, the REU will work with a team to combine knowledge of genetic diversity and ecology to inform action specifically on butternut (Juglans cinerea), a threatened tree species of eastern North America. The student will participate in fieldwork and analyses to re-assess the health of trees previously assessed in 2025 to determine where trees have grown, declined, or died, over the course of a year. Analyses will investigate if these changes correlate with microsite variation. Findings will be interpreted in light of management and planting of this tree to promote resilient populations.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum and surrounding area; field and computer components; potential out-of-state fieldwork; field component may include adverse conditions with rugged terrain, hot and humid weather and biting insects.

Student profile: Interest in ecology, adaptation, and/or species conservation. Applicants must have an enthusiasm for fieldwork and in performing analyses in R (with training).

Variation in bur oak wood anatomy and relationship to drought adaptation

Mentors: Christy Rollinson, Brendon Reidy, Rebekah Mohn

Summary: Xylem vessels, which are found in wood, transport water from roots to leaves, and their characteristics influence water use, drought resistance, and flood tolerance in trees. Local adaptation to water availability or an ability to vary new wood characteristics in response to seasonal climatic variation may cause xylem diameter and density to differ among populations or within individuals. In this project, the student will investigate wood anatomy in Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) saplings grown in a common garden from three geographically separate source populations. Using image analysis, the student will quantify xylem vessel density and size in annual growth rings from about 600 stem cross-sections (“cookies”) to test for population-level differences and year-to-year variation. These data will support broader research on drought resistance and resilience in temperate trees.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum, primarily lab/computer-based with some optional field work; use of power tools will be required.

Student profile: Interest in global change biology, plant physiology, and/or adaptation. Applicants must be comfortable using power tools (primarily power sanders) after training. Project may require extended use of microscopes.

Investigating shifts in woody plant flowering time in a botanical garden and herbarium collections

Mentors: Andrew Hipp, Lindsey Worcester, Christy Rollinso

Summary: Herbarium specimens give us a view into the past, enabling us to model how plant populations have changed over time. Living collections provide quasi-common gardens where plants from a variety of environments can be studied under essentially identical climatic conditions and a narrow range of other abiotic conditions. The REU participant will take advantage of the Arboretum Herbarium’s long-term collections from the living collections and the Chicago region to look at flowering time changes over the past decades to century using a combination of direct observational records of the Arboretum’s living collections and herbarium specimens from those same collections, asking how living collections’ flowering times have changed.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum; primarily computer-based with some field and herbarium work.

Student profile: Interest in analyzing biodiversity, phenology, or time series data. Applicants will need to have a familiarity with data manipulation in Excel or other data management software, experience or interest in learning data coding skills.

Characterization of Ash Resistance to Emerald Ash Borer

Mentors: Nathan Maren, Chad Rigsby

Summary: Lingering ash (Fraxinus spp.) are mature ash trees that have survived at least two years following the death of 95% or more of ash trees in a stand due to emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation. These trees may possess natural genetic variations that confer resistance to EAB, contributing to their survival. This project will focus on understanding gene expression patterns and molecular responses across various ash taxa with known lingering ash. The student will analyze differential gene expression between resistant and susceptible trees, supported by biochemical analyses to validate key findings and identify lineages useful for breeding EAB-resistant woody landscape plants.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum; lab components only; some field components optional.

Student profile: Interest in plant genomics and quantitative DNA/RNA techniques, including sequencing and computational methods. Applicants should have taken one course related to molecular biology, genetics, bioinformatics, computer science, plant physiology, evolution, or similar.

Comparative analysis of plant-parasitic and beneficial nematode populations in burned and unburned areas

Mentor: Razieh Razdani

Summary: Fire is a natural ecological process that shapes plant and soil communities, yet its effects on soil organisms are not well understood. Nematodes play vital roles in these systems—some species act as plant pathogens that reduce tree health and growth, while others promote nutrient cycling and support soil health. This project will investigate how fire disturbance affects soil nematode communities by comparing plant-parasitic and beneficial nematode populations in burned versus unburned areas. The student will evaluate nematode abundance, diversity, and functional composition from burned and unburned sites at The Morton Arboretum to evaluate post-fire soil health and ecosystem response to burning. If time allows, samples will also undergo molecular identification to confirm species-level diversity. The student will gain hands-on experience in field sampling, laboratory nematology techniques, molecular analysis, and data interpretation.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum, field and laboratory components.

Student profile: Interest in plant pathology and/or soil microbiology, fieldwork, and soil sampling. Applicants should have practical experience with a compound microscope, including the ability to conduct sustained microscopic work for extended periods.

Uncovering drivers of soil microbial biodiversity in the city

Mentor: Nicholas Medina, Luke McCormack

Summary: Urbanization is a key global change shaping ecosystems globally, and it also mediates how most of the human population regularly interacts with nature. However, urbanization has also concentrated social inequities including urban heat island effects and additional health concerns for humans. Urban trees are supported by their soils, but it remains unclear how urban tree inequity has shaped urban soils and the microbial communities in those soils. This project will address how tree inequity relates to measured urban soil properties and their microbial biodiversity, to better understand lasting ways of improving urban soils, canopy. The student will participate in soil sampling in and around focal parks of Chicago and conduct lab work at the arboretum analyzing soil biological properties focused on microbial growth and biodiversity analyses.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum, molecular lab and field components, street and park soil sampling around the Chicago region, mainly city of Chicago across diverse neighborhoods.

Student profile: Interest in soil biology and/or microbiology, and both field and lab work. Students must have completed an introductory biology course with a lab component and one ecology, agriculture, forestry, or environmental studies course.

The invisible carbon cost: Unlocking the drivers of tree root exudation

Mentor: Meghan Midgley, Sav Henderson

Summary: Trees allocate a substantial amount of their photosynthetically fixed carbon belowground as root exudates: carbon that plant roots release into the surrounding soil. Despite their clear contribution to the global carbon cycle, the total quantity of exudates produced by trees and the specific environmental factors controlling their release rates are poorly quantified. In this project, the REU participant will evaluate and optimize methods for collecting tree root exudates. This work aims to establish a more accurate, foundational understanding of carbon flows from trees to soil. The student will gain experience in experimental design, root sampling techniques, chemical analyses, and data analysis.

Project setting: The Morton Arboretum; field, greenhouse, and lab components.

Student profile: Interest in soil and roots and enjoys puzzles. Some coursework related to ecology is beneficial; must enjoy problem solving and tinkering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Past Projects

Alumni News

Find out what past Center for Tree Science Undergraduate Researchers have been doing since their time at The Morton Arboretum.

Spring 2025 Update

Kasey Pham (2014–2017) completed their PhD at the University of Florida and received the Lewis and Clark Fellowship and the Torrey Botanical Garden Travel Grant to go to Australia to work on their PhD project. Kasey is currently a postdoc in plant systematics at Case Western University, where they work for Elliot Gardner, a former Morton Arboretum postdoc. This opportunity has also allowed Kasey to travel to Vietnam to conduct fieldwork.

Jake Berger (2015) earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from Indiana University Bloomington, as well as a Master of Public Administration degree. After interning with the Indiana University Clean Lakes Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, they secured a job at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Clean Water Act Inspector, where they continue to Identify targets for potential noncompliance, conduct site inspections, facilitate legal negotiations, and assist facilities returning to compliance.

Janey Lienau (2020—2022) completed an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, a Masters of Environmental Science from the Yale School of the Environment, and is now a PhD student in ecosystem ecology, also at the Yale School of the Environment. Janey has published three papers, one from the REU program and two others from their master’s research. The research experience and mentorship received from The Morton Arboretum launched Janey’s career trajectory and prepared them for a career in research, setting them up with the network and skills to be competitive during the masters application process and to succeed in the program.

Jeremy Amen (2021) recently earned a Master of Science from Georgetown University and is currently working as a Bioinformatician. When asked how their introductory research experience at The Morton Arboretum shaped their career path, they stated that it provided a good opportunity to experience field work and computational work, offering a well rounded experience in the research process.

Elizabeth Huang (2022) is finishing up an undergraduate degree as a Geology and English major at Whitman College. Elizabeth will be attending graduate school at the University of Maryland, College Park to pursue a PhD in geology starting in the fall. This past summer, Elizabeth sailed as an Explorer-in-Training aboard NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, mapping uncharted territory as part of the Beyond the Blue: Papahānaumokuākea Mapping 1 expedition. As a mapping intern, Elizabeth’s main responsibility was to monitor and clean, in real time, bathymetric data collected by the multi-beam sonar. It was an incredible three weeks in the Pacific Ocean, and Elizabeth now plans to incorporate at-sea research into their future career.

Isabella Vergara (2022) completed their undergraduate degree from Grinnell College and has applied to PhD programs in order to study plant/soil/microbial interactions. Isabella is currently a lab technician at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and recently published their undergraduate research from Grinnell in the American Journal of Botany. Reflecting on their REU experience, Isabella believes the program helped develop a love for studying roots and mycorrhizal fungi, allowed them to gain skills and experience that prepared them for their current position, and appreciates the continuing mentorship which included recent advice on applying to graduate school.

Mikaely Evans (2023–2025) is completing an undergraduate degree at Macalester College, finished a collegiate soccer career as a team captain, and plans to attend graduate school in the near future. While at the Arboretum, Mikaely was able to connect with experts in the field of conservation biology, learning about career paths and how the skills learned could translate to other areas of study. Currently preparing a paper with their Morton mentoring team, Mikaely has presented this research at the International Third Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology in Montreal, Canada, as well as the Macalester College Showcase. Mikaely is grateful for the research experiences provided by the Arboretum, indicating it helped reinforce the desire to pursue a career in tree conservation research.

Arnan Pawawongsak (2023—2024) continues working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Botany at The University of Texas at Austin, with plans to attend graduate school in the future. As a full-time student and part-time undergraduate researcher, Arnan is currently conducting a taxonomic investigation of an isolated, unidentified population of rain lilies. Looking to broaden their knowledge base, Arnan will be participating in a study abroad program for Marine Botany in Celestun, Mexico, focused on the ecology and vegetation of estuarine and marine ecosystems. Participating in The Morton Arboretum REU gave Arnan valuable experience planning and managing an independent research project, and they continue to collaborate with their mentor, aiming to publish the results of their oak research.

Miranda Chiong (2024) is finishing their undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Political Science at Lehigh University, and continues to do undergraduate research in the Spicer Lab, located within the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Miranda plans to attend graduate school and mentioned that participating in the REU program helped decide what career path was right for them.

Deborah Duong (2024–2025) has completed an undergraduate degree from Saint Joseph’s University, and presented their research at University’s Sigma Xi Research Symposium. While Deborah’s future plans include attending graduate school, they recently accepted a position as a staff scientist at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University conducting research within the Macroinvertebrate and Phycology sections of the institution. While participating in the REU program, Deborah found inspiration collaborating with like-minded peers and learning about the staffs’ research and career paths.

Katie Opila (2024) is continuing as an undergraduate at Temple University and plans to attend graduate school. Katie is currently working on evapotranspiration modeling, having received a grant through Temple which they attribute to the experience gained from the Arboretum’s REU. Katie is excited to return to the Arboretum on a Research Experience Extension Fellowship to work on another genome size and polish survey of lindens. Katie received a grant through Temple, and indicated that they would not have received this without the REU experience at The Morton Arboretum.

Spring 2023 Update

Mary Jordan Babiez (2015) completed an undergraduate degree from DePaul University and went on to earn a master’s degree in plant biology from Rutgers in 2018, specializing in plant pathology. She worked at the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab and wrote a manual for the lab based on their samples: Pathogens and Pests Encountered on Plants in New Jersey, 2001–2017. She was married in June 2022 to a fellow DePaul graduate who introduced her to the research project at The Morton Arboretum in 2015. They both moved to New Jersey to attend Rutgers, purchased their first home, and she now works as a sales arborist with SavATree.

Bruce Jake Berger (2015) completed a master’s degree in environmental science and a master of public affairs degree in December 2019 from Indiana University Bloomington. He continues his work at the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System compliance inspector and enforcement officer, doing industrial and municipal water pollution inspections and case management to bring water polluters into compliance with their permits and local, state, and federal laws. He was married in October 2022 and enjoyed a honeymoon in Greece. 

Norbaya Jameela Durr (2020–2022) recently graduated from Elmhurst University with a bachelor of science degree in biology and English, a minor in chemistry and a scholar’s title in the honors program. She is currently on a Fulbright Scholarship, teaching English and developing a scientific language arts project. She will also be performing community and cultural work and would like to volunteer or work with Maun, Botswana’s conservation research facilities. She spent three summers working at the Arboretum and is currently working with her mentor to publish the research in a peer-reviewed journal. She loves doing interdisciplinary research and plans to pursue that path by attending graduate school next year. 

Elizabeth Huang (2022) is currently a sophomore at Whitman College, double majoring in English and geology, and she plans to continue seeking out research opportunities before attending graduate school. She was asked to present a paper she wrote about the Arab Spring at the Whitman College Undergraduate Conference, analyzing a piece of realistic fiction that explores totalitarianism in a fictional Middle Eastern state. She continues to provide feedback and edits on the project she worked on as a Center for Tree Science Research Technician Fellow, and the experience encouraged her to continue pursuing a career in Environmental Science.  

Gabriela Krochmal (2019–2021) graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. She is currently completing a master of science degree in forestry and natural resources at Purdue University with the Forest Advanced Computing and Artificial Intelligence Lab. She presented at the Forest Inventory and Analysis Stakeholder conference on the “Shade tolerance of tree species and drivers of successional change across the contiguous United States.” Over the course of three summers at the Arboretum, she gained experience with a wide range of fieldwork techniques and tools that now help her plan and conduct fieldwork for her own research. This field season, she will be visiting 60 private forests across Indiana and extracting over 600 tree cores.

Loren Ladd (2021) completed her undergraduate degree at Wheaton College and plans to attend graduate school. She is currently working as a viticulture technician for a vineyard management company in the heart of Oregon wine country. The position involves various field sampling techniques, agricultural data analysis, viticulture-related experimentation, and client communication. She also joined a local forestry and conservation club, which she attributes to the lingering positive impact of her time at the Arboretum. Her work as a Center for Tree Science Research Technician Fellow reinforced her desire to enter the field of conservation and provided a realistic perspective on how research and management practices are connected. 

Kamil Orozco (2021) has completed her undergraduate degree at Dominican University and is pursuing a master’s degree in environmental management at the Duke University Nicholas School for the Environment. She is currently working part-time in a toxicology lab at Duke University, as well as for Durham Parks and Recreation, and states her summer at the Arboretum helped narrow down what she wanted to do with her environmentally focused education. As a lifelong resident of Chicago, she was excited to move and get her first apartment, enjoying the amazing North Carolina weather and many new experiences.  

Kasey Pham (2014–2017) finished their bachelor of science and master of science degrees, and is currently pursuing a PhD in botany at the University of Florida. Pham is the first author on a textbook chapter in the Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (in press), has a paper in review at The Plant Journal, and is a workshop organizer for Botany 2023, as well as a presenter. Pham noted that the Arboretum is still one of the warmest, most affirming research spaces they have experienced in their career, and convinced them to go into research in plant science and obtain a PhD. 

Student Blog Series

Student researchers in the annual REU program use trees as model systems to investigate questions related to evolution, ecology, conservation, and management in natural and built environments.

Individuals gain direct experience in all aspects of a research project, from researching the primary literature to sampling design, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting at a final symposium.

Learn about the projects and experiences of past students in the Student Blog Series.