REU Site: Advancing Sustainable Systems and Environmental Technologies to Serve Humanity (ASSETs to Serve Humanity)

Clarkson University, Potsdam NY

Investigators

Abstract

This three year renewal REU site program will engage 10 undergraduate students in a research project focused on an emerging environmental problem. Undergraduate participants are assigned a self-contained portion of a larger research project, and work with graduate students and faculty mentors from eight departments in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. Students participate in research group meetings, present their work at a University-wide undergraduate research symposium, write a final report, and are encouraged to publish their work with their mentor in peer-reviewed publications. Participants will attend three workshops led by faculty mentors related to (1) sustainable energy, (2) sustainable infrastructure, and (3) sensors for detecting and monitoring environmental hazards. Follow-on field trips to nearby locations that tie thematically to the workshops will be used to demonstrate real world applications. Students will be instructed on hypothesis-driven research, analyzing scientific data, and effectively disseminating research results. Community-building activities will foster cohesiveness among students. Formative and summative assessment will ensure that program goals are accomplished. The program aims to increase recruitment of underrepresented students, increasing diversity from 30% of participants from unrepresented groups to 40% while retaining at least 60% women. The objectives of this program are: (1) serve traditionally underrepresented students by providing them the opportunity to conduct research in interdisciplinary engineering and science; (2)widen the educational pipeline in science and engineering by preparing students and motivating them to continue on to graduate school and successful careers in science and engineering; (3) develop engineers and scientist prepared to meet the energy and environmental quality challenges of 2025; and (4) teach students to effectively communicate scientific research to shape future policy.