Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Programs offer students a unique opportunity to take part in research related to their field of study. Involved in the Philippines-IRES (International Research Experience for Students) this summer was UW Marine Biology senior, Grace Davis. Funded under an NSF award, the program is led by the Old Dominion University and Texas A&M Corpus Christi University and provides students with an independent research project with Filipino mentors from the Silliman University (SU) in the Philippines, with a focus on fisheries impacts on marine biodiversity.

Interested in applying for next summer? Click here.

Being a part of the Ph-IRES program was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of my life. Four fellow US students and I stayed in a small city in the Visayas region of the Philippines known as Dumaguete or “the City of Gentle People”.  Located in central Philippines, Dumaguete is on the island of Negros.

Our days consisted of either going into the field or working in a lab with Filipino mentors at Silliman University where we each conducted our own research projects and learned from other Filipino biology students. My project focused on gathering population genetics data on the endangered Visayan Spotted Deer, Rusa alfredi, via the cross-amplified microsatellite primers designed from a closely related species with the hope of eventually reintroducing this population into the wild.

I not only gained invaluable research experience, but also life experience as I navigated a foreign city unlike anything I had ever seen before. This program, more than anything, was a cultural exchange. We tried countless traditional foods, we visited the night markets, we travelled up to the mountains to see the dense forests, the hot springs, and the waterfalls, and we even attempted to learn the language of the province, Bisaya.

On the weekends, we did what every marine biologist dreams of – we scuba dived and swam amongst some of the most pristine reefs in the world. Besides the natural beauty of Dumaguete, the people were similarly the kindest and most helpful people in the world.

Overall, when we left, I knew I would cherish this experience forever as both a summer of personal and professional growth. This program opened a world of opportunities and has prepared me for a career in the field of marine biology. As I am in the process of writing my first manuscript with potential for publication, I could not recommend this program more for anyone who wants to expand their worldly perspective or who wants to conduct research in a marine biology hotspot.