A Chemistry REU PI Workshop: The Next 25 Years

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Abstract

The Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports this Workshop that will be led by Professor Sarah Larsen of the University of Iowa. This proposal requests funding for a Chemistry REU PI Workshop in the Summer of 2012, which is three years after a successful 2009 Workshop. In addition, the event will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the NSF REU Program. The objective of the 2012 PI Workshop is to bring together the Chemistry REU PI community to facilitate interaction and exchange of ideas in formal and informal settings. This gathering will also inform and engage Chemistry REU PIs about critical issues, such as broadening participation, methods for program evaluation, and research ethics. Sharing effective REU practices will be highlighted and, through breakout sessions, an action plan for issues the Leadership Group (LG) needs to address in the coming years will be developed. The timeliness of this Workshop will also allow the celebration of 25 years of successful REU programs at NSF. The Workshop will be evaluated using a post-workshop evaluation form and a final Workshop Report will be prepared and disseminated to the NSF and to the Chemistry REU community. Broader impacts of REU programs involve broadening participation by students in groups that are traditionally underrepresented in science and especially in chemistry. The PI workshop will provide PIs with examples of effective strategies for recruitment of underrepresented students to their programs. Establishing a sustainable mechanism to connect students from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM (LSAMP) with REU programs is another expected outcome of the Workshop. Challenges and strategies associated with recruiting other nontraditional student groups such as students with disabilities and community college students will also be addressed at the Workshop.