REU Site at Kent State University: Liquid Crystals and Advanced Materials

Kent State University, Kent OH

Investigators

Abstract

This Chemistry Division award supports a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at Kent State University for the summers of 2007-2009. Arne Gericke is the site director and Robert J. Twieg is the co-PI. This REU site is centered on the themes of liquid crystals and advanced materials and will provide research experiences for nine students for ten weeks each summer. The objective of this interdisciplinary program is to provide a comprehensive learning experience with chemistry at its core but which also crosses the disciplinary boundaries of materials science, biology and chemical physics. Fifteen faculty members from the Department of Chemistry and the Liquid Crystal Institute will serve as research mentors. Weekly seminars, clean room training, report writing and participation in the end-of-summer undergraduate research symposium will supplement the research activities. Recruitment will target students at 2-year and 4-year colleges with limited research programs, students from underrepresented groups (e.g., Upward Bound Alumni), and students with special circumstances. The program will be evaluated from entrance, exit and post-departure surveys, informal interviews and mentor assessments.