An REU Site in Chemistry at the University of Florida

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

This Chemistry Division award supports the continuation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Florida. Randolph Duran is the site's Program Director and Benjamin Smith is the Co-Program Director. Thirty faculty will serve as REU student mentors. Over the award period (2002-2004), ten students will be supported each summer in a ten-week program. In addition to the recruiting efforts used in the past, a partnership will be established with Tuskegee University to identify additional underrepresented minority students. The students will live and interact with French undergraduate students, as part of their experience. The research focus is a biological and materials chemistry. Students will participate in weekly seminars and will present their research results in the form of papers, talks, and/or posters. There will be a three-day weekend post-REU meeting and poster session each October after the program ends. Students will be surveyed several times throughout the summer program and research mentors provide evaluations of each student at the conclusion of the program. All students are tracked after the program ends.