REU Site: Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity in Chemistry (SUROC) at UNC Chapel Hill

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

This project funded by the Chemistry Division of NSF supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, led by Professor Jeffrey Johnson. The site will support ten students during the ten week summer program. Students participating in research at this REU site will make explore areas important to society including energy, green processes, and human health. A wide range of chemical problems will be examined within the context of the award. Sample projects include (1) development of smart materials for application in minimally invasive medical implants; (2) development of next generation polymeric electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries (3) preparation of novel polymers for highly efficient photovoltaic cells; (4) advancing nitric oxide release mechanisms for biomedical applications; (5) understanding key molecular recognition features that underlie protein-protein interactions. The objective of the Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity in Chemistry (SUROC) is to provide undergraduate students a meaningful research experience in an area of chemistry that might otherwise be inaccessible. The goal is to provide a diverse, 10-week experience that exposes these students to various facets of independent research. In addition to hands-on laboratory work, students will learn what opportunities are made available through the creation of new chemical knowledge. The cohort of ten will participate in modules on entrepreneurship, site visits to both a large pharmaceutical company and a small startup company, and training in laboratory safety and research ethics. It is expected that the proposed REU site can increase the diversity of talented, highly trained undergraduates applying to top graduate programs across the country.