mining, bioinformatics, computational science or cyber-security. The university also has an early medical school selection program with Boston University which affords selected students to study for three years at UVI and then transfer to Boston University Medical School in their senior year. They are then granted the opportunity to take medical school courses early. The university also holds several National Science Foundation-funded research grants and programs including MBRS-RISE, SEAGEP, HBCU-UP, and MARC under its Emerging Caribbean Scientist (ECS) program. The mission of the ECS programs is to increase research training and promote excellence for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and psychology students at the University of the Virgin Islands. The university fosters research by hosting research symposiums every semester where students are given the opportunity to present research projects conducted both locally and abroad, to the UVI faculty and the Virgin Islands community. The Caribbean Writer The Caribbean Writer – subtitled "Where the Caribbean Imagination Embraces the World" – is an international, refereed, literary journal, founded in 1986 and published annually by UVI. The stated mission of the journal is to "publish quality writing by established and emerging writers that reflects the culture of the Caribbean; promote and foster a strong literary tradition; serve as an institute for the development of emerging writers throughout the Caribbean". The current editor of the journal is Alscess Lewis-Brown. The journal's founding editor was Erika J. Waters, now Professor Emeritus of English at UVI. Subsequent editors have included Marvin Williams, Opal Palmer Adisa, and Tregenza Roach. The Caribbean Writer announced the past issues online in the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) as Open Access in 2016. Marine biology program The marine biology program attracts students from all parts of the world. The University is next to John Brewers Bay, which hosts a variety of marine life and is studied by both undergrad and masters students. National Student Exchange (NSE) At UVI, students from around the nation are allowed to participate in a semester or year-long exchange to UVI through the National Student Exchange. Tuition is paid toward either the student's home or host school. Students who attend UVI are also able to participate in the NSE program as long as they have completed their freshman year. Online programs In 2018, the UVI started offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs online in science, arts & business administration. Courses start at the second Wednesday of each