REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Atomic, Molecular, and Biological Physics

Sri International, Menlo Park CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the Molecular Physics Laboratory at SRI International provides six undergraduate students each summer the opportunity to participate in research on topics in atomic, molecular and biological physics. In addition to participating in research with an experienced mentor, the REU students will engage in weekly activities such as seminars, ethics training, safety training, and visits to other research laboratories, to ensure not only that their research stays on track but that they have an engaging collegial and scholarly experience. By the end of the program, every student will have presented the results of the work in a thirty-minute seminar. This REU site will have a number of broader impacts with its focus on providing research opportunities to undergraduates to help prepare them for future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. The site has a strong plan to recruit undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in physics and from non-research institutions. The project is informed by an on-going evaluation.