REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Integrated Nanoscience

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK

Investigators

Abstract

The Division of Chemistry supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site at Oklahoma State University (OSU) for the summers of 2007-2009. The program director is Barry K. Lavine, and Jeff White and John Gelder are co-directors. Participants will be recruited from institutions with limited research opportunities with a special emphasis on Native American students from local colleges. Eight students will carry out research in nanoscience, centered on the themes of homeland security, advanced instrumentation, environmental analysis, catalysis, and chemical sensors. The program also will offer undergraduate research projects that integrate nanoscience with biotechnology. The linkage between biotechnology and nanoscience coupled with professional development activities will convey to the students both the excitement and the interdisciplinary nature of chemical research. REU participants will attend workshops covering important chemical and material science concepts common to all of the summer research projects. Students also will receive training in the use of instrumentation including NMR, X-ray crystallography, Raman spectroscopy, GC-MS and LC-MS. A biweekly seminar series will be geared to the interest of the participants. Students will present their research informally in weekly group meetings and at a final symposium, where each student will give both a poster and oral presentation. Every REU student will have the opportunity to present the results of their summer research at the Spring ACS Meeting following their summer research experience at OSU.