REU Site: An Energy Research REU focusing on Wyoming Community Colleges

University Of Wyoming, Laramie WY

Investigators

Abstract

This award, supported by the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program both at the National Science Foundation support a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Wyoming (UW), led by Professors John O. Hoberg and Brian Leonard. Wyoming's educational system is comprised of a single 4-year graduate-level university along with seven community colleges (CC). Each of these CC's supports a chemistry department along with a total of 22 faculty. Thus, this proposal targets and will recruit students from these seven institutions and is expected to produce a significant, scientific impact on the community colleges, students in the state of Wyoming, and surrounding states. The site is designed to train students in modern research by providing hands-on experience with sophisticated instrumentation, and providing access to specialized research methods not typically available in their community college education. Projects are integrated with participation in seminars, an ethics course, and field trips to a national lab and coal mine to educate students on the current scientific issues related to both national and global energy demand and management. The program also serves to prepare students for careers in the emerging high-tech energy field, which will continue to grow. An impact of this program is to attract students into science careers using current energy and climate problems that will motivate and impassion students who desire to continue living in the western United States. In this project, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wyoming (UW) will bring seven teams of community college professors and their undergraduate students from Wyoming community colleges (CC) to UW each summer. These teams will work in chemistry research groups on outstanding problems in energy science and energy resource management. This 10-week summer research program involves hands-on research along with a variety of activities to educate and train students in energy science. Each student works closely with one of the 11 participating faculty mentors who have been carefully selected for their research accomplishments and successful experiences in working with undergraduate researchers.