Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University - Los Angeles

California State University-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Chemistry Division award supports the continuation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at California State University-Los Angeles. Scott Nickolaisen is the site's Program Director. Fifteen faculty will serve as REU student mentors. Over the award period (2001-2003), ten students will be supported each summer in a ten-week program. The focus of recruitment efforts will be on the very high concentration of minority students enrolled in regional public community colleges in the Los Angeles area. These students will have had very little, if any, exposure to a comprehensive research experience. The areas of chemical research include inorganic and organic synthesis, electron spin resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared and laser spectroscopy, enzyme kinetics, plant genetics, electrochemistry, organometallic photochemistry, protein assays, mass spectrometry, atmospheric chemistry, lipid biochemistry, and capillary electrophoresis. At the conclusion of the program, student participants will present their results to the department in a poster presentation and will prepare a short written report of their research project. Following the program, students will be tracked to evaluate their development.