REU Site: Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) Program at Oakland University

Oakland University, Rochester MI

Investigators

Abstract

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) REU site at Oakland University, supported by the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, will engage 30 undergraduate students, particularly women and under-represented minorities, in 10-week research experiences during the summers of 2014-2016. The program is designed to excite and motivate the students to pursue graduate studies and careers in science and engineering. Working with industrial and academic mentors, student teams will work on timely, automotive and energy-related research topics in mechanical engineering with a special emphasis on automotive materials and tribology, alternative propulsion systems and technologies that aim to improve efficiencies at the vehicle-level. The specific topics of scuffing, piston heat transfer, and alternative propulsion systems such as fuel cells and batteries, are of particular importance to the automotive industry and will be appropriate for undergraduates. Students will be introduced to current problems, modern analytical, experimental and numerical methods, and will contribute to timely on-going research programs in academic and industrial research settings. Key features of this program include: a three-tier mentorship program that involves faculty, industrial mentors and graduate students; an ongoing commitment from several automotive manufacturers (e.g., GM, Chrysler, Ford) that includes mentorship by individuals with extensive industrial experience and access to laboratory and industrial facilities; outreach to K-12 students; and learning, networking and peer support opportunities through coordinated professional activities inside and outside the university. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The goal of the Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) REU site at Oakland University, supported by the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, is to contribute to the development of a diverse, internationally competitive, and globally-engaged science and engineering workforce, an NSF priority. This program will support the NSF mission by engaging a total of 30 students during the summers of 2014-2016 in 10-week research and industrial mentorship experiences that will excite and motivate them to pursue graduate studies and careers in science and engineering by engaging them in automotive and energy-related research projects and providing opportunities for them to interact with professionals from several automotive manufacturers. The program will focus on attracting women, under-represented minorities and students from institutions with limited research activity in STEM, to encourage and support under-represented groups to pursue STEM careers. The REU students will also benefit themselves and will benefit others from participation in organized STEM outreach activities to local K-12 students. Further, research and programmatic results will be disseminated in conferences and through peer-reviewed articles.