REU Site: Regional Initiative to Promote Undergraduate Participation in Experimental and Computational Materials Research

University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) continues operating a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site. The Site is hosted by the Department of Physics at UAB and includes participation of faculty from Samford University. Ten undergraduate students are be recruited every year for a ten-week summer research experience, with a student recruitment focus on women and underrepresented minorities. Student research projects include high-pressure materials research, diamond thin films growth and characterization, microelectronic materials, laser materials, biomaterials and computer simulations of electronic structure and CVD processes. In addition to participating in individual research projects, REU students will attend seminars on scientific communication and ethics in research, on-campus social activities, and some will give presentations at regional and national meetings. The REU Site includes a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) component. The Site recruits two Birmingham area high school teachers every year for a 5-week summer research experience. Teachers participate in open-ended research projects in conjunction with REU participants and under the direction of the faculty. RET participants also attend the seminars on ethics in research and scientific communication. Opportunities for incorporating curricular materials in the classroom are addressed in an internal workshop.