REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Chemistry at Howard University

Howard University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This Chemistry Division award supports a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at Howard University. Helen de Clercq is the site's Program Director. Nine faculty will be available to serve as REU student mentors. During the award period (2001-2003), each summer ten students will participate in a ten-week program. Student recruitment will focus on five partner institutions that are community colleges in the Washington, DC - Baltimore, MD metropolitan area. No Howard University students will be selected for this program. The research projects offered are in the areas of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. The summer research experience will be supplemented with tours of area laboratories and scientific institutions, a tutorial where the students will work on skills necessary to succeed as chemistry majors, and introductory seminars on safety, laboratory practices, instrumentation and the chemical literature. Students will present their research findings at the conclusion of the program both via a poster presentation and oral session. Evaluation of the program will consist of a series of quantitative and qualitative measures, including entrance and exit tests. The PI will conduct individual exit interviews with each of the student participants.