REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Physics

Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA

Investigators

Abstract

Lehigh University hosts a summer research program for students completing the sophomore or junior year of an undergraduate physics or related major. Fifteen to twenty students recruited nationwide work for ten weeks each summer under the guidance of faculty members in the Department of Physics. The program includes research projects mentored by Physics faculty members, weekly seminars and lab tours, an end-of-the-summer symposium, and various social functions involving faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Housing in dormitories on campus is provided without charge to the students; this arrangement greatly enhances both the academic and social experiences of the participants. The student research projects reflect the specialties of the faculty, which include astrophysics, experimental and theoretical atomic and molecular physics, biophysics, studies of complex fluids, laser produced plasmas, theoretical plasma physics related to the fusion program, photonics and nonlinear optics, experimental and theoretical solid state physics, and statistical physics. More information about research activities can be found on the Department website <http://www.physics.lehigh.edu>. The participating students gain research experience at a critical point in their undergraduate careers, as well as an excellent preview of graduate school. Over the past 15 years, more than 70% of program participants have gone on to graduate studies in science and engineering, while most of the remaining students have pursued careers in science and technology.