REU Site: Practices and Perspectives

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

This joint Chemistry Division, Division of Engineering Education and Centers, and Office of Multidisciplinary Activities award supports the continuation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at Virginia Commonwealth University. Suzanne Ruder is the site's Program Director and Sally Hunnicutt is the Co-Program Director. Sixteen faculty members from the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering will serve as REU student mentors. Over the award period (2002-2004), eleven students will be supported each summer in a ten-week program and five teachers in a seven-week program. The students are drawn mostly from regional colleges, where research opportunities are generally not available. Recruitment approaches similar to those in the past, will be used. These have been successful with recruiting minorities into their REU program at the level of 40%. The teachers that are recruited are mostly from the Richmond Public School system. Students and teachers have a wide selection of research projects from which to select, that are divided into the three areas of synthesis, analysis, and modeling. Throughout the program there are research meetings, workshops, and seminars. At the halfway point the students and teachers give an oral presentation on the progress of their research. At the close of the program participants present their research results at a final symposium. For assessment of the program all participants and research mentors complete evaluation forms and students are tracked after their departure.