REU Site - Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Physics

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the renewal of a Physics and Astronomy REU site at the University of Pittsburgh. The REU site will involve a 10-week summer academic and research program, with student and project continuity between consecutive summers and follow-up during the school year. The focus of the program content is physics, including astrophysics, elementary particle and intermediate energy physics, condensed matter physics, materials science, surface science, molecular beams, education, and some applied (biomedical, mechanical) applications. In the past participating faculty research advisors have been drawn from physics, mathematics, engineering, computer science and chemistry. Academic work is informal and explicitly individualized to support the students' research efforts. In addition to research activities in the lab, there are periodic reports and conferences with the director, midterm and final presentations, and a final paper. Every effort is made to support the students in attacking, intellectually rigorously, a small piece of a real research project. There are also informal workshops, an ethics forum, and various informal social activities, which enhance the REU experience for the students.