REU Site: Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates in Physics

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This is a ten-week summer residential research participation experience that engages undergraduate students in full-time active research collaborations with faculty, research professionals, and graduate students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A selection of research projects in Physics and Applied Physics spanning from energy applications to fundamental science is provided. In addition to their own research area, students will be exposed to a variety of research topics and methodologies through regular research seminars and student presentations. Further breadth will be developed through visits to nearby research facilities. Students will gain experience in presenting their results by making oral and written presentations throughout the summer. This project impacts the research and development competitiveness of the United States by recruiting excellent students into STEM research fields and by training these students to perform leading-edge research in technologically important fields. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This is a ten-week summer residential research participation experience that engages undergraduate students in full-time active research collaborations with faculty, research professionals, and graduate students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Undergraduate students are both mentored individually by research faculty and engage in group professional development activities. Research projects are cutting-edge in Physics and Applied Physics and include particle and galactic astrophysics, computational physics, nano- and low-dimensional materials, photonics and ultrafast optics, geophysics, complex systems, educational physics, and the chemistry, optoelectronics, and physics of solar energy conversion. In addition to their own research area, students will be exposed to a variety of research topics and methodologies through a series of research seminars and student presentations. Further breadth will be developed through visits to nearby research facilities. To assist in their professional development, students also participate in tutorials on ethics, applying to graduate school, scientific writing and giving scientific presentations. Students gain experience in presenting their results by making oral and written presentations throughout the summer. This project impacts the research and development competitiveness of the United States by recruiting excellent students into STEM research fields and by training these students to perform leading-edge research in technologically important fields.