REU Site: Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates in Mid-InfraRed Technologies for Health, Homeland Security, and the Environment (I-MIRTHE REU)

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

EEC-0648721 Claire Gmachl The award provides support for a three-year REU Site at Princeton University. This REU Site entitled "Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates in Mid-InfraRed Technologies for Health, Homeland Security, and the Environment (I-MIRTHE REU)" will engage 15 undergraduate students each year for three years in a 9-week research experience. The I-MIRTHE REU program is a joint partnership of six universities; Princeton University (PU), City College New York (CCNY), Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Rice University (Rice), Texas A&M University (TAMU) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The students will participate in interdisciplinary, original research in fields as varied as materials and device science, nanotechnology, fundamentals of sensing, optoelectronic systems design and manufacturing, environmental chemistry, climate research, public safe guarding, and medical diagnostics, all under the unifying umbrella of mid-infrared sensor systems research and validation. The program will provide students with a top-level research experience that: 1) leads students to independent, original research that is interdisciplinary in nature and has clear societal benefits; 2) allows students to experience first-hand the value of collaborative research in multi-institution research centers, and teaches the means of effective communication; 3) encourages and enables the participants to form lasting professional networks with peers and faculty mentors; 4) fosters diversity in the student population; and 5) provides students who have otherwise limited access to genuine research opportunities with new and potentially career-changing experiences. The program will actively recruit underrepresented minorities into the STEM fields, and provide students with otherwise limited access to research resources with opportunities to conduct original research with the leaders in the field and at state-of-the-art facilities. It will inspire a new generation of engineering professionals to enter and remain in the STEM fields and conduct groundbreaking research and development to the benefit of society. The primary goal of this REU site is to nurture a diverse group of talented undergraduate students to develop an appreciation for research and scholarship, a broader base of knowledge, a better understanding of the research process, and a desire to contribute to advances in science and engineering through graduate research and professional careers. This site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.