Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers at the University of Rochester: REU Site with RET Program

University Of Rochester, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

PI: Krugh Institution: University of Rochester The award supports a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site integrated with a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program at the University of Rochester for the summers of 2003-2005. Thomas R. Krugh is the site director. Eight students will carry out research each summer over a ten-week period. Six high school teachers will also participate in research at this site under the program, Research Experience for Teachers. Recruitment will be targeted at undergraduate colleges and give special emphasis to participation of women, underrepresented minorities and lower division students. Secondary school teachers will be recruited from a national pool. All participants will carry out research under the supervision of faculty in the chemistry department. The faculty are involved in interdisciplinary research which extends the intellectual scope of summer research to fields such as optics, biology, medicine and dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, physics and earth sciences. Research group seminars and REU/RET group meetings during the summer will enhance training. A mini-course on photoinduced charge transfer will be given. Panel discussions will be organized to focus on career opportunities. Students will report on their work subsequently at their colleges and at regional and national professional meetings. The teachers remain in contact with the REU site through an STM (scanning tunnel microscope) project which encourages them to borrow the instrument for high school use. They also maintain web pages on a server in the PIs lab. The REU/RET site is funded by the Division of Chemistry and the Office of Multidisciplinary Affairs in the Mathematics and Physical Science Directorate.