REU Site - Undergraduate Research Experience in Civil Infrastructure Engineering

University Of Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

EEC-0649163 Y. L. Mo The award provides support for a three-year REU Site at the University of Houston. The program focuses on two areas of growing national importance, Civil Infrastructure Engineering and Security. The specific objectives of the program are as follows: 1) participants will develop competency in scientific research, oral presentation and writing skills; 2) in collaboration with mentors, they will produce meaningful research results; 3) participants will sustain and increase their interests in research careers after completion of program; and 4) participants will learn to present and disseminate their research results. The research program will be integrated with group activities including site visits to cutting-edge institutions, seminars by faculty and industrial researchers, and social activities. The student's research experiences will be further enhanced by seminars on career development, ethics in engineering, methods of literature search, and practical advice on questions related to graduate school. Recruitment efforts for this REU site program will be focused on colleges and universities with high minority enrollments as well as those that offer limited research opportunities, such as, Hispanic serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Emphasis will be placed on attracting underrepresented minorities and women. The overall objective of the program is to increase the number, quality, and diversity of undergraduates entering graduate schools and careers in the areas of Civil Infrastructure Engineering and Security.