REU Site: Opportunities in Physics Research at Illinois

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in Physics at the University of Illinois. The program introduces undergraduate students to the broad range of problems in science and engineering that can be addressed using the tools of physics. A total of 10 students will participate each summer. U.S. undergraduate students spend ten weeks in Urbana working closely and directly with senior physics faculty on challenging, meaningful projects aimed at developing their "research literacy" skills and their exposure to the diversity of physics subfields. Programmatic activities assist participants in practicing oral presentation and technical writing skills, developing flexible attitudes toward career choices, and inculcating professional ethics. The REU projects at Illinois are neither "cookbook" exercises nor manual labor, but are original research exercises intimately related to ongoing faculty research at the cutting edge of physics. Students write code that is subsequently used in real experiments, they design and test components for real instruments, and they analyze real data. Projects are challenging but doable and are designed to achieve measurable accomplishments in the 10-week time frame. A wide range of research activities are supported so that participants receive an engaging introduction to the breadth of forefront research opportunities in the major subdisciplines of physics. A new feature in this project is the appointment of a scientific director to assist faculty in developing appropriate projects and a "boot camp" to prepare students ready for a productive summer research experience. This award is funded through both the Division of Physics and the Division of Materials Research.