The BUMP class ES543 is offered every September and is an intensive field-based course centered on a series of research projects in Plum Island Sound, Massachusetts—the site of the NSF-funded Plum Island Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (PIE-LTER) program. The primary goal of this course is to provide undergraduates with a truly hands-on research experience. Rather than relying on simplified educational exercises, I design each year’s projects to contribute directly to ongoing, NSF-supported research within the PIE-LTER framework. To achieve this, I continually update the course content and align student activities with those of other PIE-LTER principal investigators, particularly through collaboration with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. BU students work in small groups (2–3 students), collect data over 2–3 weeks, and present their findings in a research poster at the annual LTER All Scientists Meeting. Several student-generated datasets have contributed to peer-reviewed publications. This dynamic integration with LTER research ensures students are exposed to state-of-the-art methods and instrumentation. Each year, students engage with over 20 PIs from seven institutions, broadening their exposure to interdisciplinary environmental science. Over the past five years, I have also secured two NSF grants to expand research efforts in this system, with BU undergraduates playing a central role. Conducting meaningful research with undergraduates requires extensive preparation, including the development of research hypotheses, training in data quality control, and support in data interpretation.
