REU mentor suggestions:

• Writing a MySQL query in CasJobs on the SDSS website.
• For a small list of stars, use SDSS DR12 Explore to examine spectra and help understand spectra types. Get TOPCAT running on Linux, import the small list and cross-match to SDSS DR9 photometry.
• Download the DRPall file for MaNGA MPL4, and then match to a list of HI detections and non-detections (I'll provide a preliminary list in a .fits format), then make histogram of the redshifts of the detections and a histogram of the non-detections. Does that sound too difficult? It's a bit hard for me to pitch a VERY SIMPLE exercise, so I'd be happy to come up with something simpler if needed.
• Run a simple single stellar population model on some MaNGA spectra. (not possible withou access to some model software)
• Plot the distribution of eBOSS sources on some chunk of the sky with some way of identifying their redshifts.
• search the APOGEE database, read in Apogee data, measure EWs of some lines and measure an RV. (making measuremens on the spectra is probably do much, but figuring out how to find the spectra would be great!)
• basic
  • query to find spectra for a given list of RA, dec
  • query SDSS to identify M and L dwarfs with spectra based on colors
  • download a single spectrum
  • work with the finding chart explore tool to find all data for a single object
• intermediate
  • download a bunch of spectra
  • write your own code to plot a spectrum of an M dwarf (given a list)
  • write your own code to plot a spectrum of an L dwarf (given a list)
  • write your own code to cross-match two lists of spectra

CUNY: Staten Island --

• Use Marvin to explore 'interesting' galaxies, pick ~3-5, and talk about them, explaining why they are interesting, extracting and plotting physical quantities like metallicity, etc...

CUNY, Hunter College --

• basic
  • query to find spectra for a given list of RA, dec
  • query SDSS to identify M and L dwarfs with spectra based on colors
  • download a single spectrum
  • work with the finding chart explore tool to find all data for a single object
• intermediate
  • download a bunch of spectra
  • write your own code to plot a spectrum of an M dwarf (given a list)
  • write your own code to plot a spectrum of an L dwarf (given a list)
  • write your own code to cross-match two lists of spectra

DePaul --(done virtually)

• download galaxy positions from eBOSS in some patch of RA, Dec (khb suggestion: use maybe 10K galaxies)
• plot positions of the data on the sky
• research 2-point correlations functions
• map out how you would calculate the 2-pt for the data you have
• start to code it

NMSU -- in person. Haven't heard from them about this (I think), so I will guess. Team is experienced, so it might be ok that they haven't defined a mini project

• use Kepler target list to cross-match with APOGEE.
• plot the targets that are in both surveys on the sky
• and on SDSS color-color diagrams
• download and plot spectra of a few of these objects
• try to find several types of sources (eclipsing binaries (using Villanova catalog), giants, dwarfs, etc.) and find all data for these objects

UCSD -- The basic steps from CUNY Hunter will work -- but for the intermediate steps, Adam would like students to plot a spectrum, measure radial velocity, and then measure EW if there is time.